


innocence and experience

by cosmoscrow



Series: Tiger Cub [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Action/Adventure, Akuma no Mi | Devil Fruit, Character Development, Families of Choice, Family, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, HE'S OLD LEAVE HIM ALONE GUYS, Haruta is a gremlin and i love them, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Izo continues to be flawless, Original Character(s), Pirates, Quartz has Regrets, READY FOR SOME MORE WHITEBEARD FAM FEELS, Sibling Bonding, THATCH AND ACE ARE AN UNHOLY COMBINATION, and sometimes even in the worst, at this rate Marco is ready to retire, be ready to laugh and cry, but its okay, in more ways than just funny, in the best way, make way for plenty of shenanigans, tell you a secret can you keep it, they are all a disaster, they'll talk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-06-05 04:20:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 54,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15162536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmoscrow/pseuds/cosmoscrow
Summary: Piracy never really crossed Quartz’s mind, the devotion to a black flag, she found that she’d probably wouldn’t have the sense of loyalty to do so. But with innocence, comes experience.or; a vagabond turned pirate, Quartz now carries the mark of Whitebeard. Through daily chaos, awkward situations, late night conversations and wacky adventures, Quartz begins to learn what it actually means to be a Whitebeard Pirate. And she is torn between following it, or running away once again, unwilling to expose the past that chases her.





	1. divided divisions

**Author's Note:**

> SALUTATIONS EVERYONE!
> 
> I'm back! AND SO SOON!  
> Well, fun fact; this chapter was done pretty quickly since I was too excited, I probably skipped too many hours that I should've spent being asleep but oh well, I'm still functioning on a normal level, so I must be fine. Anyway, sundown, sunrise has ended not too long ago, but here we are with the continuation of Quartz's story!
> 
> Welcome to innocence and experience, a story to be filled with plenty of shenanigans, family feels, gratuitous headcanons and the particularly absurd world of One Piece in general. But also let's not forget Quartz's journey and the step-by-step unveiling of her mysterious past (I know many of you are burning with curiosity, but I'm a bit mean lmao pls no don't leave–)  
> I'm so excited! I can't wait to share this entire joy with you, I hope to see some familiar faces here and I also welcome you new readers! Enjoy reading innocence and experience, I'd love to hear what you guys think, let me know!
> 
> Everyone, have a wonderful day and take care!  
> – Crow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whitebeard summons Quartz for an important decision. 
> 
> She remains unamused.

* * *

 

Carefully, a shiny new screw was placed into the vacant hole, where the previous screw, brittle and rusty, had occupied the spot. Squeaking a little with its new surface gliding along the wood, the screw was lowered into the hole with a screwdriver, promptly tightened as soon as it hit the end. The tool was soon replaced with a small pump, dropping a few droplets of lube on the creaky hinge of the small wooden chest, before a hand moved the lid up and down in an opening motion to test the repairs.

“Looks good to me,” Quartz said, taking the chest from the desk and presenting it to Deuce, who had watched on over her shoulder. Gingerly, he took it out of her hands, testing the object himself. Seemingly satisfied, the man started to smile with a pleased nod.

“Wonderful,” he praised, “I hated the thought of replacing it, so I’m glad you were able to fix it up a little. Thank you.”

Quartz just shrugged, tucking her chin behind her collar before turning back towards the desk to tidy it up. Deuce regarded her with a slightly curious look, but decided to not bother her – he wasn’t as used to her different moods as Ace was, so instead he sent her a slight smile, knowing fully well she didn’t see it, and made his way out of the workshop, nodding at Blenheim in greeting. The shipwright only raised his hand in a short wave, setting down his heavy tools and swiping an old rag to wipe his dirty hands on. His eyes zeroed in on his little apprentice, watching how she organised the small pints of paints. Stitched onto her back, the mark of Whitebeard grinned at Blenheim.

“Aye,” he called, effectively getting her attention as she turned her head slightly to look over her shoulder. The man tossed the rag easily over his shoulder. “Pops would like a word with ya’, wee lass.”

Despite ‘ _brat_ ’ never really leaving his vocabulary, the man had taken to calling her the other nickname too – Quartz hasn’t decided yet if she wanted to remove his kneecaps for that or not. She didn’t show much of an external reaction other than twitching slightly. At the information however, she scrunched up her nose.

“What does he want?” the kid asked, despite already sliding out of her seat. Blenheim only gave her a slight grin, motioning to the door with his chin.

“That’s for me to know and for you to find out,” he said cryptically and Quartz harrumphed, grumpily walking out of the workshop to make her way on deck, unaware of the knowing glint in Blenheim’s eyes.

 

* * *

 

Squinting through the rays of the afternoon sun, Quartz did quick work on locating the captain on deck. Honestly, she’d been an official member for two days, what’s his problem now. She didn’t even bother anyone in those two days, preferring to keep to herself for a while – emotions are a shitty thing, she didn’t want to walk around on deck with the corners of her mouth urging to twitch up every few seconds. That’s just _embarrassing_.

Spotting Whitebeard seated on his massive chair, Quartz made an immediate beeline towards the man, nimbly ducking underneath heavy loads carried off by crew-members and swiftly sidestepping anyone who couldn’t see her. Nearing the captain, she saw Ace and that loudmouthed cook, together with Izo and that one commander with the mischievous pixie face at the foot of Whitebeard’s chair. Unconsciously, her dark eyes darted around unnoticed, trying to find a particularly shaped mop of blond hair. She found none, suddenly feeling a bit less confident – didn’t stop her from scuffing her shoes a little as she arrived quietly behind Ace and Thatch.

“What do you want, old man,” was Quartz’ rude greeting, causing the two commanders in front of her to nearly jump out of their skins in shock.

“Bloody hell!” Thatch squawked, half hiding behind Ace, who was busy trying to pat out the small flame that had shot out of his shoulder in surprise. “Don’t do that, you sneaky little bugger!”

Quartz only stuck her tongue out at him, wholly uncaring to the scare she had subjected the two men to. Haruta laughed gleefully behind the cook, hands on their hips as they leaned forward with a smug grin.

“Told ya’ Thatchy,” they teased, bringing up a finger to cheekily pull down their lower eyelid and sticking their tongue out, “her light-footedness will be a perfect match for my division!”

Instant dread settled in Quartz’ stomach, “ _What_ ,”

Whitebeard laughed, the sheer volume of it vibrating through the deck and the kid looked up at him – her eyebrows behind her bandanna nearly shot up to her hairline, when she spotted Marco sitting comfortably on Whitebeard’s shoulder. _Like a parrot_ , she thought, watching how Marco waved at her with one of his sly half-grins on his lips. _A deadly can-burst-into-blue-fire pineapple parrot_.

“Brat,” Whitebeard rumbled, getting her attention as he grinned down at her, “now that you’ve taken my mark, it’s time for you to find you a division.”

_Oh joy_.

“Oh joy,” Quartz’ muttered sarcastically as Marco carefully hopped off the captain, landing close to the kid in a crouch. “I get to choose between 16 idiots all at once.”

The insult earned her a rather hard flick to the forehead, to which she slightly recoiled with a hissed “ _Ouch!_ ”, glaring at Marco. He lowered his hand, looking severely unimpressed.

“Stop being rude,” he chastised her, taking on a rather relaxed stance as Quartz rubbed her forehead through her bandanna, pointedly avoiding his gaze. “It’s not that big of a deal – you’re still gonna be Blenheim’s apprentice and work in the workshop, if that’s your problem.”

_Oh, thank god_.

“I wasn’t worried!” Quartz insisted, unaware of the sparkle in her eyes that had everybody thinking ‘ _How transparent_ ’. Marco huffed slightly in amusement.

“Whatever you say, tough guy,” he shrugged, “Anyway, as I was saying; you still are able to keep positions outside of your division, like Thatch. The divisions usually come into play when we’re on the battlefield or on missions. Also, it keeps things pretty organised.”

“You should come to my division!” Haruta exclaimed as soon as Marco finished, pushing him aside and smiling widely at Quartz.

“Hey now–“ Marco started, looking put off at being pushed aside so easily, when Thatch also inserted himself into the conversation, shoving Haruta away with his hand on their face. They made an enraged sound as Thatch grinned.

“No way, join mine, kid! I haven’t gotten a new sister in ages–“ he was interrupted by Ace appearing right in front of Quartz, who jumped a little at the unnerving closeness.

“Join me!” the 2nd commander grinned, before immediately being shoved down by both Haruta and Thatch.

“And what’s your reason, huh?!” they both yelled in unison and Ace gave them a blank look.

“I’m not going to lose?” he said, almost uncertainly but with a conviction that he was right. This only earned him a tug-of-war with his cheeks between the two other commanders, who were yelling at him anew.

“ _That’s your reason?!_ ”

“Owwie– beshides, mah diveeshion ish shmalla!” Ace managed to utter through his stretched cheeks. Behind them, Izo sighed at the childish antics and Marco thought that they were getting way too into it. Quartz turned to Whitebeard with a deadpan face and a raised hand.

“Permission to be my own division?”

The fighting trio turned their attention back to her, all of them wearing various faces of betrayal and offended outrage.

“You brat!” Thatch pointed at her with an accusing finger, the sheer ferocity of it compelling Quartz to lean back slightly. “You should feel honoured that we bother duelling over you!”

“I’d hardly call that duelling,” Izo mumbled behind his paper fan and Marco snorted a little. Quartz however, scoffed at the cook’s words and turned her head to the side in an almost snooty manner.

“Never asked you to,” she huffed stubbornly. Unnoticed by her, the cook only grinned mischievously, ignoring the suspicious side-eyes Haruta and Ace sent his way.

“Being in my division has it’s benefits you know.” Thatch propped his elbow up on Ace’s shoulder, leaning heavily on him as he made a lazy movement with his hand, feigning nonchalance. “A good chunk of my division are cooks, so we usually have unlimited access to the kitchen. Gotta prepare meals and all that, cutting fruits, like, bananas, apples, _peaches_.”

Quartz turned back to face him again, eyes passive as ever with pink tinged cheeks and a bit of drool sticking to the corner of her mouth.

“Oh?” she said, sounding mildly interested and Haruta shrieked.

“That’s not _fair,_ Thatch!” They shoved the cook out of the way with a well aimed bodycheck, placing themselves in front of Quartz once more. “My division is largely responsible for stealth missions and espionage – don’t you wanna sneak around and give everyone a good scare?”

The kid, face now back into it’s usual blank state, hummed as if she was considering. Behind Haruta, Thatch popped up again, shoving them down slightly with his eyes glinting.

“Think of all the chicken!” he crooned and back was the light blush and drool as Quartz’ attention was snapped back onto him. The cook’s collar was grabbed by two pairs of hands as the other two commanders invaded his personal space to yell at him.

“ _Stop that!_ ”

Marco sighed, his hand finding its way towards his face in exasperation. Izo, in a similar state, directed his gaze onto Whitebeard, who had watched on as an obvious source of entertainment.

“Father, make them stop. At this rate we’ll be here until morning.” At his son’s words, the man laughed and chose to fulfil his wish.

“ _Gurarara_! Now, now, that’s quite enough, brats.” He leaned his cheek against his propped up hand and his words alone were enough to seperate the squabbling trio. “Let her decide for herself – you might wanna think your options over, brat.”

He looked down at Quartz, who avoided his gaze for a second. Then, she shook her head.

“No, I’ve already made my choice,” she announced, her dark eyes setting themselves back onto the small group, “I’m joining the 2nd division.”

Whitebeard raised an eyebrow, but grinned nonetheless – _interesting_. Izo smirked behind his fan, while Marco hummed, slightly disappointed but satisfied anyway. The others, however, weren’t as relaxed.

“ _WHAT?!_ ” Both Haruta and Thatch wailed, while Ace looked absolutely stunned.

“You are?” he asked, only to get whacked over the head by the other two, “ _Ouch_ – I mean, yeah! Welcome to the 2nd Division!”

Haruta and Thatch slumped in defeat as Ace cheered. Quartz only rolled with her eyes at the dramatics – seriously, how old were they? Five? The telltale prickle of a stare burning itself into the back of her neck made her turn her head slightly. Whitebeard considered her with a mildly curious look.

“Any particular reason for your choice?” The man inquired, amber eyes meeting dark ones. Something unreadable swam within those dark pools as Quartz stared up at him silently. After a few seconds, the light glimmer vanished, only to be replaced with a sly spark and she shrugged.

“Dunno.” The brat stuffed her hands into her jacket, a hint of a devilish smirk flashed over the rim of her collar. “If the division is as small as he implied, there’s a good chance that it’s growth can still be _influenced_.”

_This brat_.

Ace could feel himself starting to sweat.

“I’m suddenly less okay with this…”

 

* * *

 

Izo leaned in close to Marco, whispering behind his fan.

“Remind him to never let her touch any of the paperwork.”

“On it, yoi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious about little tidbits of Quartz? About her and the crew?
> 
> Why not ask Quartz herself! Find her and her usual shenanigans on Quartz' ask Blog!  
> <https://ask-the-tiger-cub.tumblr.com>
> 
> Don't worry, she won't bite. Much.


	2. everybody wants to be a cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace means well and Quartz is sceptic. It works out in the end, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salutations everyone!
> 
> AHHHHH guys!! Thank you so much for the feedback, truly made my day! I still have to answer some comments, so I'm super sorry if you are waiting for a reply – life kept me busy. And also, I've been writing so much because I've been so motivated by you guys, all those planned chapters wanna make me trash my entire updating schedule, lmfao!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's a bit on the feelsy side, sprinkled with plenty of (attempted) humour. Enjoy reading and have a wonderful day and take care!  
> – Crow

* * *

 

The hallway they entered was the very same one Quartz had used to escape Ace when they had the, well, _incident_. Ironically enough, it was now Ace himself who led her there, halting in front a door and Quartz knew it – one of these several doors could’ve been his room. In hindsight, she was now pretty glad over the fact that she decided to burst into the captain’s chambers instead. Not that Ace knew anything about her dilemma from that particular day, and she wasn’t about to tell him now. Instead, she stopped just short behind him, looking almost bored but mildly expectant when the commander – _her_ commander, as of recently – turned around to face her.

His face looked almost uncharacteristically serious, sharp eyes scrutinising her from head to toe, Quartz felt the urge to fidget. She didn’t.

“Before we’re moving on, I just have one question left.” Ace said calmly, hand steadfast around the door knob as Quartz nodded mutely. He gave her a long look. “How does your devil fruit affect you outside of combat?”

Not going to lie, Ace nearly wanted to backpedal and tack a nervous ‘ _You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to_ ’ at the end of his question after watching the kid’s face go so dark, he could almost see the thunderstorm brewing up within her eyes. Jeez, kids were scary, but he held his ground, engaging in the staring contest.

“Why.” The half-growled answer was curt and just a tad scathing, slipping like poison from her mouth. _Devil fruits are still a sore subject, huh?_ Ace thought, before pursing his lips slightly.

“It’s for, uh, science.” He was mildly offended by the deadpan look he got for that one. “Don’t give me that look, that’s rude.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“So did you.” Ace shot back, feeling secretly smug when he watched how Quartz’ face scrunched up slightly in irritation. She opened her mouth again, set into an ugly grimace which gave Ace a nice view of her uncomfortably big and pointy incisors, when she suddenly snapped her mouth shut with an audible _click!_ , it nearly made him wince. Quartz’ brows furrowed and she leaned forward slightly, her nose twitching and–

“Are you _sniffing_ me?” Ace asked incredulously, in a curious mix of fascinated and weirded out. But he was ignored; instead, Quartz only held her hand up to signal him to be quiet, stepping closer to the door behind Ace and her nose wiggled again. She straightened up.

“There’s a cat,” she said flatly before craning her neck to look up at Ace, “you brought me here to help you with a fucking cat? What am I, a goddamn animal tamer?”

“You can do that?”

“Can I–“ she spluttered, flailing with her hands, “Of course I _can’t_! Just because I can turn into a tiger doesn’t mean I automatically understand every single living creature!”

Ace squinted, leaning forward slightly.

“But you could _learn_ it, right?”

She gave him a withering look.

“I’m leaving.” She declared, already turning on her heel, only to be pulled back when her commander – _ugh_ – snagged the back of her collar. She could hear him turn the knob to open his door.

“C’mon Shorty,” he laughed lightly, unfazed by the way she used her little rat claws on his arm, “it never hurts to try!”

“I told you,” Quartz complained as she was pulled into Ace’s room, roughly shrugging off his hand, “I’m not going to help you tame some pet–“ Involuntarily, her nose followed the scent in the room and she turned around, eyes growing wide. “–cat…”

Ace closed the door behind them, smiling slightly as he stepped around a staring Quartz. Then, she pointed at the cat sitting on Ace’s bed.

“That’s a fucking lynx.”

Ace looked affronted. “His name is Kotatsu!”

“His name–“ Quartz brought both of her hands up to point at him. “Has anyone ever told you that you shouldn’t keep _wild animals_?!”

“Well, we kept _you_.” He retorted petulantly, crossing his arms and Quartz gave him an unamused glare. The upstarting argument was palpable in the air – however, loud growling interrupted them. Two pairs of eyes flitted towards Kotatsu, who had stood up from his previous curled up position on the bed and slowly slinked to the floor, hackles raised as he growled menacingly at Quartz. The girl froze, looking almost bewildered, while Ace gasped.

“Kotatsu!” He hastily stepped between the two, hands both raised. “She’s a friend, it’s okay!”

The big lynx didn’t seem to listen and continued his display of intimidation, muzzle curling as he exposed his fangs, letting go of a low snarl. _Maybe this was a bad idea_ , Ace thought, already moving towards the door in order to allow Quartz a quick getaway, when a low but thunderous noise nearly made him jump straight out of his skin.

Seemingly towering over Kotatsu, Quartz had her lips pulled back, displaying her own fangs as she straight up _snarled_ at the poor lynx, noise everything but human. Astonished, Ace observed how the kid glared the animal down, pupils nothing more than diamond-shaped pinpricks and then, she _roared_ , it nearly made the whole room shake.

With his ears pinned back, Kotatsu seemed to come to the late realisation that his chosen enemy wasn’t so easily intimidated as he thought. He let go of a small whimper, lowering himself on his belly before rolling onto his back. He made another whine and Quartz pulled back, pupils dilating into their normal roundness again. Ace’s jaw could’ve reached the floor at this point.

“Wh– What the hell did you do to him?!” He asked, voice cracking slightly at the high pitch. With wide eyes, he surveyed how Quartz squatted down next to the submitting lynx, reaching out with a hand to give him a good belly rub. Kotatsu immediately approved, pitiful puppy eyes now sparkling with mirth as he stretched out, tongue lolling out of his mouth. The girl just shrugged, hiding her twitching mouth behind her collar.

“Dunno, just told him who’s boss in here.” She mumbled, now using both hands to burrow into the light coloured fur. “Most animals will usually yield as soon as you show them you can fight back tenfold.”

Ace plopped down onto the floor, back leaning against the nearby wall as he adjusted his hat with an expression that conveyed that he understood. Quartz started to scratch Kotatsu under his chin, the lynx making a content sound at that, gently rumbling within his chest as he stretched his chin out. The commander snorted.

“Wuss,” he chuckled at the lynx, who only flopped back into the lap of the kid in protest. To the man’s surprise, Quartz didn’t shuffle away from the contact; in fact, she carefully cradled the head of the feline closer and shot Ace a dirty look.

“Talk to him like that again and I shall shank you in your sleep,” she told him seriously, not halting in her petting of Kotatsu, “it’s not his fault that he recognised who’s _really_ top dog here.”

Ace barked out a loud laugh, head falling back and subsequently knocking his own hat into his face. Reaching up with a hand, he placed the hat onto his lap, grinning all the while.

“Sure thing, kiddo.”

Quartz didn’t say anything, but something in her eyes sparkled. She turned her gaze back down to the lynx in her lap, absentmindedly scratching him behind the ears, which flicked about happily. After a moment of silence, she looked up again, finding Ace idly staring out of the porthole behind Quartz, somehow looking thoughtful.

“Why did you bring me here?” She then asked into the silence and Ace glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. In the sparse sunshine filtering through the little window, Quartz could see how his dark eyes appeared russet, a warm brown that faded into an almost reddish colour as the warm rays shone onto his face. He gave her an easy one shoulder shrug.

“Thought it would be nice to introduce you to a new friend,” he mumbled, scratching his cheek. Unimpressed, Quartz raised an eyebrow – not that Ace could see it anyway.

“As opposed to a human?” She questioned sceptically and her commander winced. “You really just brought me here for my devil fruit, not?”

“No.”

She stared at him, unwavering.

“…maybe?”

“You’re not really bright, are you?”

“Excuse you,” Ace sniffed with a small scowl and a slight flush of embarrassment, “I’ll have you know that I’m not the 2nd Commander for nothing!”

“Probably because you were so hardheaded, you split an entire boulder in two by ramming your head against it alone.” Quartz snorted but stopped at Ace’s unchanging expression. “I was joking.”

“Oh,” Ace blinked before laughing nervously, “oh right, yeah. _Right_.”

 _What the fuck is wrong with this crew_.

Another stretch of silence, occasionally interrupted by a content rumble from Kotatsu. After a few seconds, Quartz sighed.

“I…don’t mind.” she said quietly, feeling the weight of Ace’s gaze on her. “Meeting Kotatsu, that is.”

She continued to pet the lynx, who happily dozed on her legs and missed the smile Ace directed at her.

“Cool.”

 

* * *

 

Quartz perked up at the sound of fast approaching footsteps outside of Ace’s door. Said commander, who had taken to relaxing in his hammock, sat up slightly at her movement. Not a second later, a heavily breathing Thatch burst through the door, spatula pointed at them threateningly.

“ _You_!” He wheezed and both people within the room watched him curiously. “What were you two thinking?! I had like five people running up to me, near bloody pissing themselves in fright, when they told me some wild animal had been heard making a ruckus onboard!”

Quartz and Ace blinked owlishly at the cook. Then, they simultaneously pointed at each other wordlessly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious about little tidbits of Quartz? About her and the crew?
> 
> Why not ask Quartz herself! Find her and her usual shenanigans on Quartz' ask Blog!  
> <https://ask-the-tiger-cub.tumblr.com>
> 
> Don't worry, she won't bite. Much.


	3. back to school

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quartz liked to keep personal things to herself. And sometimes, that works against her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salutations!
> 
> I'M LITERALLY RAZING THROUGH THOSE CHAPTERS I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS MOTIVATION IS COMING FROM BUT I'M PRETTY SURE YOU ALL ARE A BIG PART OF IT AKSVDKJF-- gosh, i love reading through your comments, they are an absolute delight to read. Thank you so much for your continuous support, I hope I keep you all satisfied with my writing, haha!
> 
> Please do enjoy and let me know what you think! I wish you all a wonderful day, take care!  
> – Crow

* * *

 

Lunch had been already in full swing, when Quartz entered the galley together with Blenheim. In idle silence, they joined the line, receiving their plates and filling them with their respective meals before the large man gave the girl a small nod and proceeded to make his way towards his usual table. Quartz watched him go and then turned back to the buffet – roast chicken, fried rice, some soy sauce and a few of those green bean bundles wrapped in strips of bacon. Just to appease Izo. And of course, on the way to her table, she swiped two peaches and stuffed them into her jacket for later.

Old habits die hard.

When she arrived, Haruta laughed at something Thatch had said, scooting slightly to the left to make some room for Quartz, who planted herself into the free spot between the fencer and Izo. The crossdresser immediately inspected the girl’s plate, before nodding as if deeming it acceptable. Quartz rolled her eyes a little before tucking into her meal with a small mumbled “ _Thank you for the meal_ ”. She ate in relative silence, listening to the conversations around her, occasionally chipping in when questions were directed at her. Marco had her involved in a talk, when Ace plopped himself between Marco and Thatch, placing his overloaded plate roughly onto the table. The sound caught most of the occupants attention and the 2nd commander himself looked truly disgruntled – curiously enough, his irritated gaze was set onto Quartz only.

“What did I do now?” She asked around her mouthful of food, looking now equally miffed. She didn’t even bother him today, she had been busy all morning. Ace gave her a stink-eye, taking a massive bite out of the ham he was holding.

“More like what you _didn’t_ do,” he groused after he had swallowed, “where the hell were you this morning? You were supposed to be helping out Deuce and the others with the canons! I had to help out and you know I’m not exactly allowed near flammable artillery. I was even late to the commanders meeting!”

At least half of the entire table turned towards Quartz, who scrunched up her nose in confusion. Begonia, who sat next to Marco, pursed her lips a little.

“Goodness Quartz, didn’t take you for a slacker, considering how much Blenheim praises you into the high heavens.” She admonished and Quartz flushed slightly, slamming her fists down onto the table.

“I didn’t do it! Well, at least not intentionally, you didn’t tell me anything!” She pointed at Ace, who gaped at her in offence.

“Yes I did! Everything you were supposed to do today was on a list! I gave it to you, remember?”

Quartz’ lips thinned and she averted her stormy eyes to the side.

“…I lost it.” She grumbled and Izo gave her a look of disbelief.

“Again?” He asked sceptically, while Marco sighed. The girl shrunk under the mildly disappointed look the 1st commander gave her across the table.

“Quartz, that’s the third time this week, yoi,” he recounted, “you really need to do something about it. You can’t just go on neglecting your commander appointed duties and blame it on being clumsy. Everyone does their part on this ship, yoi.”

The girl tucked her chin beneath her collar, looking visibly uncomfortable under the collective scrutiny of the commanders. Only Thatch surveyed her with a calculating look, munching away on his risotto undisturbed. Suddenly, he turned his head to his left and nudged Ace to get his attention. The younger in question shot him a puzzled look.

“You still got the list?” The cook questioned and the younger nodded. With a hand, Thatch motioned to the other to give it to him. As soon as it fell into his awaiting hand, he unfolded the paper, eyes darting from left to right over Ace’s surprisingly neat handwriting – courtesy of Izo of course. After he was done, he presented the list to Quartz, who had watched him apprehensively.

“Here you go,” Thatch said cheerfully, “a brand new list with your chores for today. Why don’t you tell us what’s on it? Might help you to memorise it in case you lose it again.”

The kid stared at the paper as if it had spat into her food and personally offended her for just existing. With hard eyes however, she ripped the paper out of the cook’s hand and stared at it.

And.

Stared a little longer, eyes now squinting as if she tried to set the whole thing on fire by sheer force of will alone. Quartz seemed to shrink again, imitating a turtle trying to hide away in its shell and Marco frowned at her. Thatch, however, only watched her with softening eyes – _knew it_. Haruta seemed to have an epiphany and they leaned towards the kid slightly.

“Quartz?” They started softly, a worried hand hovering just above a trembling shoulder. “Do you– Do you not know–“

They didn’t get to finish their sentence when Quartz teared the paper apart with an angry snarl, jumping up to her feet with crimson cheeks.

“ _Fine_ , you win; _I can’t fucking read!_ ” She hissed, throwing the torn paper onto the table as she glared at Thatch. “There, are you happy now? Congratulations on finding out, you all must feel ecstatic!”

“Quartz, yoi–“ Marco tried, but the girl already climbed off the bench – he had never seen her this upset. Angry? Yes. But visibly _ashamed_ to the point of being upset? Never.

“Leave me alone!” Quartz barked back gruffly before storming off, crew members clumsily stumbling out of her path. As soon as she disappeared through the door, Marco’s shoulders sagged with a heavy sigh. Ace and Haruta turned to Thatch, both wearing similar looks of irritation.

“Dude,” Ace deadpanned, “way to make my comrade upset.”

Thatch waved his fork around, almost nonchalantly.

“She’s my comrade too, y’know?” He only received more angry looks and he sighed. “Look, it was clear she wasn’t going to tell us herself. I had my suspicions for a while after she claimed she couldn’t read the chickenscratches on a paper, which was from Izo and we all know he has one of the cleanest handwriting out there. Also, have you ever taken note that she steers clear from any sort of writing?”

Realisation dawned on a few faces. That’s true; none of them had ever seen Quartz with a book. They had never seen her handle a pen or enter the library or even read the newspaper. Marco brought a hand up to tiredly run it through his hair.

“Dammit, I should’ve noticed that…” He lamented quietly and Thatch nodded.

“I’m not trying to be the bad guy here – it’s clear that she needs lessons and we all know she’s not about to jump at the opportunity. Well, she might jump, but most likely overboard just to escape the whole ordeal.” Ace huffed a small chuckle at that one, it made Thatch grin a little. “Let’s just wait for her to cool off and then, Marco can try to work his magic and convince her to take up lessons with Izo and Jiru. After that, she’ll get a nice dessert from me because _wow_ , do I feel bad right now.”

 

* * *

 

Thatch was right.

Marco had set out a few hours after lunch to find their youngest member, and by the time he spotted her, she didn’t seem all that upset anymore. Though, she did wear a rather sullen face as she sat on deck, her back leaning against the railing with Kotatsu’s head in her lap. That particular scene had him blinking in surprise for a second. But then again, Marco recalled the mess Ace and Quartz had made that caused nearly five members to run up to him close to tears, all blabbing something about some wild animal on board. The following explanations which came from the two youngest were certainly interesting, but one could hardly call them explanations when it was really just Ace and Quartz accusing each other of various misconducts which Marco barely ever heard of. He shook his head fondly, _what a bunch of troublemakers_ , he thought as he approached Quartz. At his footsteps, Kotatsu’s ears flicked about before he perked up to see who exactly was visiting them, uttering a curious rumble when he recognised Marco. Quartz only glanced at him from the corner of her eyes.

“Hey,” Marco greeted gently as he sat down next to her, crossing his legs under him and reaching over to scratch the lynx under his chin. Kotatsu made a content sound at that, big paws curling in delight.

“‘llo,” Quartz mumbled back grumpily, softly petting the sandy fur in her lap, not looking up to meet the 1st commander’s eyes. Marco sighed inwardly a little.

“You know, Thatch didn’t mean to embarrass you like that, yoi,” he started to explain, “I guess he was just worried that you wouldn’t speak up about your problem if he didn’t give you a little push.”

She gave him a disgruntled glare. “So he just announces it for the whole table to hear?”

“Okay, yeah, that was a dick move.” Marco conceded with a small tilt of his head. “But he feels really bad about it, so be prepared for an apology dessert.”

Quartz stayed silent. Then; “…he better make it a big dessert.”

The commander snorted, smirking slightly. “I’ll make sure he does, yoi.”

He leaned back, craning his neck to watch the big clouds slowly creep over the sky as the wind ruffled up their hair. Next to him, Kotatsu yawned before pushing his head up to nuzzle Quartz’ face and subsequently causing her to hum a little. Curious about the unusual noise, Marco turned to watch how the girl squeezed her eyes shut, pushing back into the lynx’ face as he rubbed into her cheek. Kotatsu let out a chuff, seemingly satisfied and flopped back down again, dozing off as Quartz’ hands brushed through his fur. Marco smiled a little at the interaction, until the kid spoke up again.

“What are you planning to do?”

It was Marco’s turn to hum, thoughtful, as he unfolded his legs to prop one up, so he could lean his elbow on it.

“Well, Izo will certainly come after you with supplementary lessons–“ he was interrupted by a groan.

“I have to go to _school_?” Quartz questioned almost incredulously, looking pained. The blond chuckled a little at the kid’s gloom.

“Oh, woe is you!” He joked, receiving an annoyed side glance. Playfully, he erased the grumpy look by ruffling her hair and causing her to make a small indignant sound. “It’s nothing to be ashamed about, kid, some of us still visit the lessons.”

As she fixed her askew bandanna, Quartz gave him a quizzical look.

“How so?”

“If you haven’t noticed, this whole ship is full of rejects and so called freaks, yoi.” Despite the words, Marco smiled at her. “We were all once someone who wasn’t wanted or was cast out from what society perceived as normal. And Pops took us in, despite the labels people put on us and replaced the hateful words by calling us his sons and daughters. He gave us a home and family when no one wanted us, yoi.” He tilted his head back to look at the sky again. “So, some of us missed out on receiving proper education. That’s why we decided to make our own lessons, so those who desire can catch up on what they missed out on.”

Marco moved his head slightly to the side to give Quartz a soft smile. She blinked, a little stunned at the revelation before she averted her dark eyes to the side.

“Oh, I see.” She mumbled, hand moving to scratch behind the napping lynx’ ear. “Seems…practical, I guess.”

The commander a huffed small laugh, before getting back up onto his feet, stretching a little. The short break from his duties truly worked wonders. He turned to look down at the girl again.

“So? What do you say, yoi?” He asked expectantly, putting his hands onto his hips.

Quartz looked thoughtful, chewing on her bottom lip slightly behind her collar. She remembered how she was once able to read short sentences in colourful children’s books, some verses during church – but that was long ago. A feat she couldn’t repeat while on the run, constantly feeling like she was about to run out of time, the gut wrenching anxiety of it not allowing her to sneak into schools or take a quiet moment to try and read a book. The feeling of shame whenever she entered a library, the simmering jealousy directed at the children being escorted to school by their parents, and the eye-watering desperation in those late nights, where she forced herself to recognise numbers and letters in the lonely candlelight in her cold little hideout. Her hand clenched slightly at the unwanted memories. So she craned her neck to look up at a waiting Marco, determination flickering within her eyes.

“Yeah, I’ll take ‘em.”

Immediately after, she tried to squash down the happy feeling rising in her chest, when Marco gave her a proud grin.

 

* * *

 

“The table…was a larsh– large one, but the tree–“

“T _h_ ree.”

“…but the _three_ were all…crow– crowed–“

“Crow _ded_. As in packed, that there is little or no room at all. No space.”

“I knew that…” Quartz grumbled into the open book of _Alice in Wonderland_ in her hands, as she stood at her – _ugh_ – desk in the makeshift classroom, that really was just a cleared out and unused room. There was a large blackboard attached to the front of the room, together with a large desk for the teacher, or in this case Jiru, who was going through the homework he collected today. With Quartz’ current education status, she wasn’t sharing the class with anyone – most likely because she was just starting.

Jiru gave her a knowing look over the rim of his half-moon reading glasses – they made him look like a studious librarian, but she held her tongue. After all, Jiru was a very educated man, having been a professor next to also being a high-class knight. Quartz’ suspected that he liked the time he got to teach others, he must have fond memories of his teaching days.

“Start again,” he said, motioning with his fancy fountain pen, “from the top!”

Quartz let her head fall back with a groan. The knight upfront chuckled at her melodrama, eyes never leaving the papers in front of him.

“Now, now, remember; practice–“

“Yeah, yeah, _practice makes perfect_ , I get it, I’ll start again.” The girl interrupted, reciting the mantra Jiru and Izo had drilled into her head for three days straight. The man chortled slightly.

“By the way, my dear pupil.” He held up one of Quartz’ homework sheets, entire page full of near unrecognisable chicken scribble, pointing at a rather askew line with the tip of his pen. “We need to work on your penmanship, I can barely figure out what letter you are trying to practice.”

“I’m just copying from the sheet Izo gave me!” The girl protested, cheeks heating up slightly. “It’s not my fault his writing is all swishy and fancy. I’m practising the alphabet, not writing a letter to the Five goddamn Elders.”

Jiru gave her a befuddled look. “Who would even want to write them?”

“I would,” Quartz grumbled, trying to find the part where she had left off in the book, “just so I could tell them in writing how they can eat my entire a–“

“You know, I would find your expansive vocabulary highly impressive, if it were not for your alarmingly large library in profanity.”

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious about little tidbits of Quartz? About her and the crew?
> 
> Why not ask Quartz herself! Find her and her usual shenanigans on Quartz' ask Blog!  
> <https://ask-the-tiger-cub.tumblr.com>
> 
> Don't worry, she won't bite. Much.


	4. rain drops and soap bubbles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izo nearly despairs at Quartz, so Haruta takes over – there is accidental bonding and a reason as to why Quartz wears that bandanna of hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salutations!
> 
> It's been a bit hectic over at my place lmao, but I'll try to get around and answer your comments and some of the asks of course – I've been working on another illustration piece which has taken all of my attention recently, so I'm sorry about that! Answering your asks have been an absolute delight so far, haha! I'm thinking I'd probably make a separate all One Piece Sideblog so I won't clog up Quartz's ask, so far just a thought.  
> ANYWAY! Thank you all so much for your comments and kudos! This chapter will be a bit more on the funnier but also down to earth (for a bit) side. After that I have planned a more fluffy kinda chapter before we get to more plot driven chapters OH HO HO!! I just want them to have fun first before the Feels hit skjvdkj--  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter (it also has a more personal bit), let me know what you think! I wish you all a wonderful day and take care!  
> – Crow

* * *

 

The grand line had always been known for it’s tricky weather, so Quartz didn’t expect sunny weather every single day. However, the sudden brutal downpour had been completely unnecessary. She could still see the other distant waters still untouched by the rain and she sighed deeply. _What a mess_ , she thought, carefully hurrying along the deck to complete her assigned tasks for today, ignoring how the freezing rain felt like needles on her exposed skin. A few minutes later, she scuttled back again, only to slip on the water covered wood. Namur, who had been close by, yelped in her stead and immediately inquired if she was alright.

 _What a mess_.

 

* * *

 

Lunchtime had a big part of the crew soaked to the bone and grumbling under their breath. A few wrung the water out of their hair, some out of their shirts and Izo was glad he worked inside most of the time.

“Alright everybody, I know you all are eager for some good grub, but I’d appreciate it greatly if you wouldn’t make a mess in the galley!” Thatch called in over the growing crowd next to Izo. “Get to your bunks, hit the showers and get into some dry clothes, we don’t want anyone catching a cold.”

Izo thoughtfully gazed out the nearby porthole, watching the stormy grey waves thrashing about as rain pelted the glass. He hummed.

“What a shame,” he said after most of the crowd dispersed to follow Thatch’s words. “The weather had looked so nice before. The grand line is truly a pesky thing.”

“You tell me.” Thatch grumbled, frowning at the watery mess the crew had left behind. “At this point you’d think everybody would be used to– oh _holy_ –!”

Izo whirled around at the cook’s yelp, only for him to let out a shriek himself when he noticed a tiny figure standing next to him. He heard stories about swamp monsters, really just tales to scare children into behaving, but right now, he thought there _might_ be some truth in those tales until he recognised the floppy mop of purple hair. The gunslinger let out a curse in his mother tongue, just as Quartz peeled back the fringe sticking to her face, one round dark eye peering up at Thatch.

“I’m hungry.”

“Shut up, is that seaweed on your head?” He pointed at the greenish lump tangled within purple strands, while Izo pinched one of Quartz’s sleeves between his fingers, watching with absolute disdain how it trickled a small torrent of water to the floor. The kid shrugged.

“Dunno, but I think it moved a few times.”

“ _Oh_ -kay!” Thatch said loudly, plucking the ‘seaweed’ out of her hair. “I’ll be taking this, and you; go take a shower.”

The cook swiftly marched away, holding the seaweed as far away from him as he could and Quartz scrunched up her nose. Izo carefully hooked a finger beneath her remaining fringe, flipping it over to free the kid’s eyesight.

“I already took one.” Quartz mumbled, looking down at her soaked appearance. “Pretty sure that shower will last for a good few weeks.”

“Oh, don’t be silly.” Izo snorted, but the girl didn’t appear to be joking in the slightest. Instead, she just stared up at him with blank eyes. The gunslinger had to repress an indignant screech. “You cannot be serious. You call this a shower?”

“There was water, I got wet. That’s the point of a shower.”

 _At this rate, the brat will kill me_ , Izo thought, placing his hand over where his heart was and taking a deep breath.

“You are taking a shower, stat.”

“But–!“

“ _Now_.”

Quartz briefly planned to just hightail out of there, when a hand clamped down onto her shoulder, keeping her in place. Whipping her head around, she spotted an equally soaked Haruta with a towel draped over their wet hair and wooden tub hooked under their arm. The fencer grinned mischievously.

“You takin’ a shower, squirt?” They asked and before Quartz could protest, Izo interfered with a stern frown.

“Yes, she is. Would you mind taking her? I don’t think she’s ever set foot into the showers.” He waved them away with a dainty hand movement and Haruta stuck their tongue out slightly, cackling.

“Oh, gross!” They laughed, dragging the squirming kid with them. “C’mon, you really need a wash, you don’t wanna catch a cold, eh?”

 

* * *

 

Quartz wanted to scream.

Haruta had led her to the communal baths, a rather spacious thing for something that had been separated for the men and women on the ship. As soon as they entered the changing rooms, Quartz was greeted with the sight of women in various states of undress; her face went scarlet, the commander next to her actually worried she might just pass out from pure embarrassment.

“Don’t worry,” Haruta chuckled almost uneasily as they patted purple hair reassuringly. “Izo is sending someone to bring you a spare set of dry clothes. So let’s just take it easy, hm?”

“I-I don’t want to shower in a room full of people!” Quartz spluttered in a high voice, watching Haruta place their tub onto a nearby bench as they started to take off their shoes. The commander snickered a little.

“Sorry, squirt, we don’t exactly have individual shower stalls.” They hummed, lips pursed thoughtfully. “I mean, we do have a few, but they are usually reserved for the people who are really uncomfortable with communal showers and have inquired for access beforehand. That’s why they aren’t crowded like here.”

The elder fiddled with their scarf a little before finally peeling it off. Quartz only pouted silently behind her collar, round eyes flitting around nervously, watching the others how they conversed. A few women wrapped up in soft looking towels emerged from the adjoined showers, giggling slightly as they dried their hair and without any ounce of shame, one of them dropped her towel from her body. The kid saw a naked butt and immediately squeaked, whirling around swiftly to face the wooden shelves instead.

“You okay there?” Haruta asked, now sounding legitimately concerned.

“F-Fine! I’m fine!” Quartz half-shrieked, hastily toeing off her flats in order to look busy, before yanking at the zipper of her teal jacket. The commander shrugged, reaching out to one of the shelves to pull out a neatly folded towel. They placed it onto Quartz’s head, who stilled at the feel of the soft material.

“If you say so, just don’t forget your towel.” Haruta smiled down at the kid. “And you can borrow some of my soaps, if you want!”

Dark round eyes stared up at them and they noticed how Quartz stopped looking embarrassed. Instead, she seemed to be scrutinising them, looking almost thoughtful.

“Is this really okay?” The kid finally asked and Haruta was about to confirm when they were interrupted by a quiet mumble. “…for you, I mean.”

“Huh?”

Quartz looked like she was about to sprint through the wall out of this place as Haruta regarded her with a confused look. The kid ducked her head slightly, absolutely uncomfortable with the entire situation. Was she even allowed to point this out?

“This…is the women’s shower…right?” She muttered carefully, pressing the towel to her chest as she stared up at Haruta. The elder blinked, brows furrowing, when a lightbulb went off over their head.

“Oh!” they said before chuckling, turning away slightly to unbutton their green jacket. “No need to be so nervous, kiddo, if you wanna know if I’m a woman or not, you can just ask.”

“I would, if I didn’t feel like the Pineapple would crash through the wall and give me another lecture about being rude.” Quartz deadpanned and Haruta snorted so hard, they choked on their spit a little.

“Yeah, that sounds like Marco,” they snickered, stripping off their jacket and lightly wringing it out to get rid of the excess water. “And to your question; I don’t consider myself particularly binary aligned, that’s why I go by neutral titles. The reason why I stay in the women’s showers is because that I’m just used to it and generally more comfortable with it.”

Haruta smiled down at the kid, who finally took notice of the light coloured tank top the other wore; underneath, they seemed to be wearing another tight top that somehow acted as some sort of compression. Quartz realised a little too late that she had been staring, so she snapped her gaze back up with crimson cheeks, when she saw Haruta lift an eyebrow.

“…sorry,” she mumbled, taking off her own jacket and shaking it out a little. “It does explain a lot, though.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah?” Quartz counter questioned out of pure habit, before shaking her head slightly. “Nevermind. I just…noticed a few weeks back. You– uh, you smelled like blood for about a week. That’s where I started to just kinda assume…I guess?”

Haruta stilled and the kid already thought she said something wrong, when she saw the commander’s stunned expression.

“You can smell that?” They asked, mildly amazed. Quartz nodded hesitantly.

“My, uh, _powers_ –“ she cringed at the word – “they affect me outside of combat too, so my sense of smell is a lot different from yours. I can differentiate from a lot of scents, your natural scent was just harder to pinpoint since you smell so similar to all of the guys.”

“That’s…actually pretty cool to hear?” Haruta marvelled with an excited smile, leaning in close. “What else can you smell? Does everyone on this ship have an individual scent? Can you smell what particular emotions we feel?”

“I–“ The kid started, leaning back slightly. “A lot? Sometimes all the smells get overwhelming. And yeah, most of you do, but I don’t memorise them all, and I guess only sometimes, it really depends on how strong the chemosignals are.”

“That’s the _tightest_ shit I’ve ever heard,” the commander said, eyes sparkling in absolute delight, it made Quartz avert her eyes in order not to blush at the compliment. They were interrupted by a woman, whom Quartz recognised as one of the nurses she had seen on deck, sticking her head into the changing room.

“Haru-chan, Quartz-chan, there’s a shower free!” she called, joined by a few other women sticking their heads in, giggling daintily at each other. Haruta straightened up again, waving at them with a grin.

“Thanks! We’ll be there in a bit!” They started to take off the rest of their clothes, until they took note of Quartz again. “Hey, don’t you wanna take off your bandanna?”

The kid froze at that, hand flying up to the maroon material out of reflex.

“Uh, I’m good.”

“No way, it’s already wet!” Haruta exclaimed, grabbing the bandanna in an effort to take it off. Quartz however, clutched onto the cloth as if her life depended on it. “ _Quartz_!”

“I told you, I’m good!”

“I’m not letting you shower with a bandanna on!”

“Why not?!”

“What do you–!”

A loud ripping sound made the entire room freeze.

“… _oh shit_.” Haruta quietly mumbled, eyeing the torn bandanna in their hand.

“You ripped it!”

At the screech, they flinched guiltily. With an apology ready on their tongue, they looked back down at Quartz, only for their blue eyes to grow wide. Behind them, several women had gathered to also get a look on a now bandanna-less Quartz.

Then, after a few seconds of absolute silence, the entire room was filled with girlish shrieks of delight.

 

* * *

 

“What the hell was going on in the ladies room?” was the first thing Thatch greeted a freshly showered Haruta with as they arrived for a late lunch. The fencer snickered, their drying hair curling at the ends and making them look like every bit of the mischievous pixie they are. Ace set his cup down, regarding them with a curious look.

“What do you mean?”

“Ah,” Haruta waved him off with a grin, “why don’t you all see for yourselves?”

They snickered again, looking absolutely smug when a small figure set their tray down next to them, purple hair looking fluffier than normal.

“Hey, kid,” Marco greeted Quartz from across the table and as she looked up, he visibly startled while Ace and Thatch choked on their drinks. Izo gasped slightly in delight, daintily covering his suspiciously curling lips with a hand.

Dark eyes with equally dark exaggerated eyelashes stared back at them, looking rounder and bigger than expected, now that the maroon bandanna wasn’t there to shadow most of her face anymore. Said face turned out to be heart-shaped with a high forehead, daintily framed by purple hair and thin eyebrows and looking so absolutely endearingly _girlish_ , Marco could’ve sworn if he didn’t know any better he would’ve mistaken her for a–

“You look like a doll.” Ace stammered, looking equal parts amazed and horrified as he pointed at Quartz. “What the _fuck_.”

“I do not!” She immediately screeched, cheeks growing rosy and now one could actually see her eyebrows furrowing, when she started to bare her teeth and _good lord_ –

“You look absolutely adorable!” Izo cooed, grinning brightly as he clasped his hands in front of him in joy. Quartz’s cheeks now exploded into a deep crimson.

“ _I do not!_ ” She repeated, her voice cracking slightly at the high pitch and Thatch buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking as he hysterically laughed until he cried. Not even Marco could hold back the slight snort that escaped his mouth and he hastily covered it with a hand. Quartz stilled, looking positively betrayed as the entire table started to coo at her unexpectedly cute face. Haruta wasn’t helping, with how hard they wherelaughing as they swore they were about to pee their pants.

Quartz could feel her entire soul and dignity leave her body, leave her to die a social death she might never recover from. She resigned to her fate, shakily presenting Izo her torn bandanna.

“Fix it…please,” she muttered, beyond embarrassed, feeling how the gunslinger took the cloth. He smirked a little.

“No problem, you’ll have it back in, hm, maybe two to three days?”

The girl groaned and smacked away Thatch’s hand as he attempted to pinch her cheek.

She’ll never be able to live this down.

 

* * *

 

Not two days later, Quartz marched up to Whitebeard, still bandanna-less, ignoring the disbelieving stares she got on the way. As soon as she stood at the foot of the captain’s massive chair, she pointed at the cackling trio consisting of Ace, Thatch and Haruta behind her. Curiously enough, on top of her head sat a baby pink bow.

“Make them stop,” she demanded in a high voice as Whitebeard blinked down at her.

“Oh,” the old man said before grinning, clearly misunderstanding. “Don’t worry, my child, you look lovely.”

Marco had to turn around to hide an upcoming snort behind his hand and Quartz shrieked so loud, it even made Atmos jump in surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Haruta:  
> Haruta's experiences are heavily based on my own (self-projecting? I would never); the only difference is, while I consider myself not particularly binary aligned, I still go by she/her mostly because it's just something I'm used to but I did receive a few they/them which was pretty neat, haha! I guess for me gender wasn't a very crucial thing or something I actively struggled with – the feeling just stayed with me until I finally got to learn the right words to actually explain them to myself, which has been pretty eye opening. Quartz more or less represents my curious child-self who had been walking around feeling this particular feeling where I couldn't quite place the right words on it.  
> Thinking back, I think my whole self-discovery has been quite funny because I really just went with it, lmao, but now knowing myself a little bit better, it's a pretty great confidence boost.
> 
> \--
> 
> Curious about little tidbits of Quartz? About her and the crew?
> 
> Why not ask Quartz herself! Find her and her usual shenanigans on Quartz' ask Blog!  
> <https://ask-the-tiger-cub.tumblr.com>
> 
> Don't worry, she won't bite. Much.


	5. centuries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco thinks that him and Quartz seem to start having a knack for late night conversations – this one, however, grows a little darker than he expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salutations!
> 
> I almost despaired at this chapter – there were too many possibilities and endings and my life is a bit of mess right now, so I'm just ?????? EITHER WAY, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, it's a bit feelsy and even angsty, but that's my dramatic ass' fault – is this how I cope? We will never know, lmfao damn.  
> AND I STILL HAVE TO ANSWER SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS?? I'M SO SORRY AKSDVKH
> 
> I wish you all a wonderful day and take care! Let me know what you think!  
> – Crow

* * *

 

It was already well into the evening, a few hours after dinner, when Marco made his way towards the library of the Moby Dick. Well, he would hardly call it a library, considering how many old documents and logbooks the shelves stored, but thanks to the many bookish members, they had accumulated a pretty impressive collection. So, might as well call it a library as much as it was a quiet workspace.

And a quiet workspace was exactly what the phoenix sought out, considering he was pretty sure that Ace and Thatch had rigged something in his room again and he was not ready to deal with that right now. He’d toss them overboard later, for now, he just wanted to get some papers done, especially since he had to take over some of Kingdew’s due to him being away on a mission ( _or on a ‘quest’, as how the other insisted on calling it_ ).

Marco heaved a sigh, preparing himself for a long night – he was pretty sure he wouldn’t allow himself to rest until he got all that pesky paperwork done. Sometimes he asked himself _why_ they were even keeping such paperwork, they were _pirates_ for heaven’s sake. He shook that thought out of his head, instead opting on trying to locate his reading glasses, patting down the purple shirt he was wearing as he entered the quiet library.

The room was dimly lit by the various oil lamps hanging around, casting a warm and cozy glow throughout the many bookshelves. Marco silently nodded at the few night-owls passing by, before making a beeline towards the section of various office works and documents, carefully filtering out the papers he needed for tonight and snatching up a few of the good pens. Armed with his materials, he started to search for a good spot where he could work as uninterrupted as possible. With near silent footsteps, he walked towards the very end of the library, where he knew there would be a lone table far enough from any disruptions.

However, when he stepped out of the maze of shelves, Marco was surprised to find his usual spot already occupied, oil lamp standing alight on the big wooden table and casting dark shadows onto the walls.

“…across all the fir- four…Blues, a leg- lega-…legend says, there ex-ex- exits- _fuck_ \- exists!” Quartz made a strangled noise, looking beyond frustrated as she squinted at the open book in her hands, silently mouthing the various words again. The scene almost seemed mundane as the phoenix watched how the girl practised her admittedly mediocre reading skills. It made Marco smile however and with a knuckle, he gently knocked against the wood to alert his presence. Quartz immediately perked up, dark eyes dilating for a brief moment and Marco took note how she had shoved her bandanna up over her fringe, most likely to be able to read the text as uninterrupted as possible.

“Hey,” he greeted her casually, gently placing his work down across from her. For a moment, she just watched him silently, big eyes glued to the materials he set down and honestly, she reminded him of a curious cat by the way she attentively stared at his repetitive movements. The fitting imagery nearly made him chuckle and it really didn’t help with the way she had exposed her entire face – Izo was right, Quartz had a very endearing face, the gunslinger had whined to Marco at the fact that the girl had insisted on getting her bandanna back. The phoenix was pretty sure that if his brother hadn’t given the maroon cloth back, the kid would’ve most likely broken into Izo’s room to retrieve it herself, consequences be damned. A shame, really, Quartz’s face truly fit within the cuteness range of fluffy kittens and eager puppies.

“Hi,” Quartz finally greeted back, sinking into her chair a little and Marco eyed the book in her hands.

“Late night studying, I presume?” He asked, fishing his reading glasses out of his breast pocket and placing them on his nose. At the book title, he arched an eyebrow. “ _Legends and Myths of the Grandline_ , huh. A little advanced, don’t you think?”

“Are you calling me stupid?”

“No,” Marco almost chuckled at the disgruntled look on the kid’s face, only accentuated by her big round doll eyes. He turned towards one of the shelves, humming slightly before plucking a small book from the shelf and presenting it to her. “I think this one might be a bit easier on your eyes.”

Quartz took the book, scanning the title before giving the 1st commander a decisively unimpressed look as he sat down across from her.

“ _The Ugly Duckling_ , really?” She questioned flatly, her hand reaching up to tug down the bandanna, casting it’s usual shadow over her face. Marco shrugged easily and then nodded. “See, now I just think you’re making fun of me, stupid Pineapple.”

This time, the phoenix couldn’t hold back on his light laughter. With his usual sly half-grin, he reached over and gently tugged the bandanna back up to reveal her entire face again. Quartz didn’t make a fuss, which mildly surprised him, however her mouth did curve downwards a bit more, making her look like she was pouting.

“I’m not making fun of you, Dollface, everyone has to start small somewhere,” Marco explained calmly, shuffling his papers together in order to start. “Baby-steps, you see?”

Quartz grumbled and the commander immediately recognised her grumpy face – how could he not, it was the face he had come to know when she was still fresh on the ship. She seemed to take his words to heart, however, carefully closing the huge book in favour of pulling the fairytale closer.

“Whatever,” she muttered, opening the book and sending Marco a dark look, “and call me like that again and I will rip your throat out. With my _teeth_.”

The threat was met with an amused huff. “Scary,” the commander noted absentmindedly, eyes already flitting over various documents as he twirled a pen expertly in one hand.

They both went quiet after that, the silence akin to comfortable as Marco worked on his papers in peace, the scratching of pen on paper filling the peaceful air around them. Occasionally, he would hear Quartz mutter a sentence or two under her breath, briefly glancing at her over the rim of his glasses to see her seemingly engrossed with the story in her hands. Her big eyes made her appear younger than she actually was ( _and acted_ ), giving her an air of childlike innocence, even with the knowledge that she could make hard-boiled sailors blush with her profanity. Marco began to understand why she preferred to wear the bandanna; he’d find it pretty annoying too if people would keep cooing over him even if he tried to appear intimidating.

Inwardly, he sighed. His hands moved almost on autopilot as his eyes scanned the many papers, swiftly calculating the spent money of the division budget and what they had left – _hm_ , plenty as it seemed. Marco reached for his consumer list each division kept, searching the columns on what the money went to in the first place and already taking notes on what else they needed. Whoever proclaimed a pirates’ life would be free of such boring and tedious paperwork, Marco would just love to stuff said paperwork down their ignorant throat. It’s already bad enough that he keeps receiving frequent complaints of Ace overspending his division budget on _food_. Now, don’t get him wrong, the 1st commander absolutely adored his youngest brother like the rest of the crew, but sometimes he just wished to sling an arm around the youths neck and _squeeze_. Or at least throw him overboard for Namur to fish him back out.

Marco wasn’t aware of the round pair of eyes watching him carefully over the edge of the book, until Quartz called his name.

“Marco.” The usage of his actual name and the solemn tone of her voice caused him to look up almost immediately, blinking a little at the deeply pensive stare Quartz gave him. “How old are you?”

_Huh, been already wondering when that question would come_ , Marco mused silently as he held the kid’s intense gaze. Then, he wordlessly lifted a hand to remove his glasses as if to check for smudges within the warm glow of the lamp between them.

“Why do you want to know?” he asked almost conversationally, fully aware he dodged her question. She seemed to notice too, judging by the way her nose twitched. Despite being half hidden behind the fairytale book, he could faintly see her jaw working – he wasn’t too sure if it was in irritation or contemplation.

“I just wanna know,” she then said into the silence, slightly muffled by the book in front of her. “I wanna know if the legends are true.”

“The legends?” Marco raised an eyebrow and watched how the flame in the lantern reflected within Quartz’s dark eyes, looking like the glowing pupils of a cat. She nodded.

“The legends of the phoenix.”

Well, it wasn’t anything new, but it was one of the rarer reasons people gave him whenever they asked about his age. Usually they did to know more about his devil fruit or use it for an honest conversation piece. A small amused huff escaped his lips and Marco stared ahead thoughtfully.

“To be honest,” he started and Quartz perked up slightly, “I actually lost count of it a long time ago.”

To her credit, Quartz barely looked surprised. She did however blink a few times, processing what she was just told. She nodded, suddenly looking equally as thoughtful.

“So, it’s true that you’re immortal.”

“Not really?” Marco hummed, tapping one temple tip of his glasses against his bottom lip. Quartz tilted her head slightly to the side in question and the phoenix pursed his lips a little. “How do I explain this; I most likely can’t die of natural causes, since my powers messed with my whole ageing process. And thanks to my healing factor, I won’t die of sickness either.”

“But you can die,” Quartz voiced out the last part he left unsaid, her face unchanged despite the slightly morbid topic and Marco couldn’t help the feeling of concern that stirred up within his chest. Nonetheless, he nodded.

“Of course, it is a devil fruit power after all,” he explained, leaning back in his seat. “If someone were to put a pair of seastone cuffs on me, I’d be rendered mortal as everyone else.”

“Makes sense,” The girl mumbled.

“Why do you ask, you’re not planning on assassinating me, right?” Marco joked mildly. His upcoming chuckle died in his throat however when he watched Quartz’s face grow dark. There was a brief flash of something in her eyes and the commander’s heart nearly plummeted to the ground because the brief flash looked like _hurt_ and he mentally cursed his mouth. This was why he always let Thatch do the jokes, because for some reason, he himself had the uncanny quirk of having the worst timing when it came to humour.

“It’s not like I can touch the seastone either, I was just making conversation, no need to be a dick about it…” Quartz muttered, masking her vulnerable look with a grumpy facade, sinking backing her chair to hide her face behind the book and Marco wanted to slap himself.

“Sorry, that came out wrong.” He apologised, scratching his cheek awkwardly. “I think I was just…confused by your curiosity? You usually just keep to yourself, so I was kinda surprised. Not in a bad way, though.”

The kid seemed to flush at his observation, her eyes and nose peeking back over the edge of the book. The slightly disgruntled look made him chuckle again.

“You really lived that long to forget your actual age?” Quartz asked him again, muffled by the book. The elder smiled, an easy little thing as he leaned back into his seat and shrugged lightly.

“Perhaps. You kinda just lose track after decades, centuries, and still look like you’re barely a day over 35.” Marco mused, gazing into the flickering flame dancing within the glass as it barely managed to lighten up his dark brown eyes. Quartz noted how his eyes seemed faraway and for a moment, despite his young face and body, Marco appeared old. Eyes shimmering with age, something almost ancient, lost – _forgotten_. “Granted, it gets a little in the way when I can’t claim to be too old for certain shenanigans because no one will believe me.”

The girl couldn’t help the snort that escaped her, it made Marco’s lips quirk a little and his eyes crinkled at the edges in amusement.

“You don’t even act old,” Quartz told him. “Your body heals itself constantly, there is no way you can even claim to be too weak for anything.”

“Ah, you’re right.” The phoenix nodded solemnly. “And yet, why do I have the feeling I’ll be the one sprouting white hair faster than anyone else?”

“The old man’s moustache is already way ahead of you.”

“He’s different, Pops looks appropriately old for his age.” Marco pointed out before turning thoughtful. “Just don’t tell him I said that.”

Quartz’s eyebrows nearly rose up all the way to her hair line as she made a half-amused ‘ _aha_ ’ sound. Somehow, the commander had a feeling he just gave her some kind of ammunition – let’s hope this won’t backfire on him.

“What…” The tentative tone in her voice made him look up again, watching how round eyes observed him carefully over the edge of the book. “What does it feel like?”

“Does what feel like?”

“Living that long.” Quartz clarified, eyes glimmering with genuine curiosity. “You probably outlived a lot of people.”

Marco hadn’t expected that. He inhaled quietly as an eerie silence stretched out between the two of them, they could almost hear the flame flickering within the lamp. The people who had asked about the Phoenix fruit had often proclaimed their satisfaction over the information Marco had just told Quartz – but he could see the lingering looks, the slight pity, the thoughtfulness as they put two and two together themselves; Marco the Phoenix was centuries old, growing and ageing at a rate unknown to mankind, he flourished and bloomed with the flames of life. However, he watched as everyone else around him slowly succumbed to their age sooner or later. He was sure he knew more names of the ones long dead, than the ones which still lived and breathed. No one on the ship bothered to point it out, the horrifying truth of Marco’s powers, but they all knew.

They all knew Marco had experienced entire generations die out right in front of him.

Awareness seeped into Quartz’s dark eyes and she bit her bottom lip uneasily, clutching the book in her hands a tad tighter than necessary. The commander’s shoulders sagged a little – he truly was at a loss for words right now, he was almost astonished. With a flurry of clumsy movements, Quartz slammed the book close, stumbling off her chair.

“Nevermind, forget that I asked, that wasn’t–“ she grimaced, clutching the book to her chest– “uh, emotionally… _delicate_.”

Those words suspiciously mirrored Izo’s way of speech, Marco thought almost absentmindedly as the girl in front of him regarded him with a guarded look. She pressed her lips together.

“…I’m sorry.” Quartz half-whispered into the silence, hunching her shoulders up as she pulled down her bandanna, turning on her heel to swiftly walk out of the library. Another moment later, Marco could distantly hear the door click shut, leaving him utterly alone in the dim room, surrounded by the silent presence of the books. He blinked, before sighing, suddenly feeling much older.

“…Goodnight.” he muttered uselessly into the silence, almost in an afterthought. His gaze fell onto his hand, which he stretched slightly, feeling the familiar rush of warmth and an ancient unknown racing through his being as blue flames flickered to life on the tips of his fingers. He watched them dance for a while, before closing his hand into a fist, extinguishing the azure fire.

Yeah, Marco the Phoenix outlived a lot of people.

And he never knew how to feel about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious about little tidbits of Quartz? About her and the crew?
> 
> Why not ask Quartz herself! Find her and her usual shenanigans on Quartz' ask Blog!  
> <https://ask-the-tiger-cub.tumblr.com>
> 
> Don't worry, she won't bite. Much.


	6. The Girl and the Beast (but they were the same) Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There once was a tale, more so of a riddle, on who was the monster and who was the man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salutations!
> 
> IM ACTUALLY SCREAMING THIS CHAPTER ENDED UP BEING AN 8K MONSTER BUT HEY IT'S A PRETTY BIG PLOT POINT SO HEYO! ahhh, i weep, this has been a rather challenging chapter, so I hope you all enjoy reading it! Let me know what you think! This will be pretty emotional ride, depending on how you see it, OH HOHO-- i'm so tired akjbskjdb.  
> AS ALWAYS; THANK YOU FOR ALL THE KIND WORDS AND SUPPORT!! IM LOVE YOU!!  
> Please be aware of the potential trigger warnings, I wish you all a wonderful day and stay safe!  
> – Crow
> 
> Trigger Warnings:  
> \- Mentions of Starvation  
> \- Animal Abuse  
> \- Descriptions of Blood and Violence  
> \- Choking

* * *

 

The rigging ropes felt warm underneath Quartz’s hands as she tightened them, grunting vaguely when Rakuyo passed and asked her if she had finished. The was a loud rattling sound of metal chains clinking against each other, and the girl could feel cold metal nudge her leg. She shivered a little at the frigid feeling.

“No, Macy, I’m busy.” Quartz muttered, thick rope wrapped around her wrist as she pulled, absentmindedly toeing Rakuyo’s living spiked flail away. The weapon made a pitiful noise and the girl sighed. “I’ll play with you later, just let me finish.”

That seemed to placate Macy, who wiggled happily, bouncing circles around the kid as her owner chuckled.

“Aren’t you a needy girl, hm?” Rakuyo cooed at his weapon, who made a grating sound akin to a purr. Quartz winced at the grind of metal, sensitive ears protesting at the awful noise. Thankfully, a yell from above brought a convenient distraction.

“ _Land ho!_ ”

Multiple heads perked up as excitement made its rounds through the crew. With nimble fingers, Quartz finished knotting up the ropes, before curiously trotting over to the other side to catch a glance at the island they were approaching. Not too far ahead stood an island, rich in forest, no doubt surrounded by plenty of jungle, if the excessive green colour was anything to go by. Light-coloured rock peeked through the greens, and Quartz spotted a few cliffs, the highest catching her attention the most. She squinted, dark eyes fighting through the bright rays of the sun.

_Is that…?_

“Alright, about time we get to explore again!” Thatch’s enthusiasm broke through the kid’s concentration andas if caught, she turned her head around to give him a mildly astonished look. A big hand came down to pat her back as the cook smiled down at her. “Bet’cha that you’re antsy to stretch out your legs, hm? I wonder if the island has any spices or herbs.”

The man was right – Quartz hadn’t been able to fully stretch out in a while, back at Lobelia she had been so busy angsting over her whole emotional turmoil ( _ew_ ), so it wasn’t like she had time to think about going full form within the forest. And now, seeing the big jungle upon the island, something itched within her, huffing and growling to be let out and have a chase within the foliage and scratch up some bark and climb trees. She hummed in response and with a chuckle, Thatch playfully ruffled up her hair with a hand as Quartz made an indignant noise.

“Gear up, kids, yoi,” a voice piped up behind the two of them as Marco stepped closer, a hand on his hip and a sly half-grin on his face. “Pops just made the order to dock, so get ready to explore.”

Thatch whooped in cheer, dashing off to find Ace and Haruta, no doubt planning to assemble the Terrible Three for some mystery island fun. Marco silently dreaded the upcoming mischief they would cause, but he was happy nonetheless at the prospect of something potentially exciting. His gaze fell back onto Quartz, who had taken to looking out onto the waters again – however, he could see the tense line in her shoulders, despite the neutral face she wore.

( _“You probably outlived a lot of people.”_ )

Quartz could hear the faint exhale of the 1st commander as he settled next to her, back leaning against the railing. She stubbornly kept her eyes forward, afraid to give off a tell if she so much as glanced at Marco from the corner of her eye. That, until she heard the soft rustle of clothes and an almost annoyingly familiar warmth settled onto the crown of her head. Quartz ducked her head a little, as if trying to escape the gentle hand on her head by tucking her neck in like a turtle, cheeks tingling with faint heat. She chanced a look, only to find Marco smiling down at her.

“Excited, yoi?” he asked softly, it made Quartz avert her dark gaze again.

“Just a little bit…” she admitted, almost through gritted teeth at the show of sincerity, it made the elder chuckle good-naturedly as he mussed up the purple strands beneath his fingers. Retrieving his hand, he leaned back onto his arms, propped up on the railing, as he watched the crew bustle around in a hurry to get ready. With a careful glance down to his side, he quietly observed how Quartz flexed one of her hands repeatedly as she stared at it in thought. Their companionable silence was interrupted by boisterous laughter, Marco immediately recognising it as Thatch’s – he soon spotted him close to the stairs, almost crying with how hard he was cackling. Amongst the laughter, Marco could filter out the unmistakable noise of a squabble and he let go of an annoyed sigh when he saw Haruta and Ace butt heads, spitting and hissing at each other like children.

“God, they’re at it again…” he muttered, clearly irritated, and Quartz craned her neck to see where the whole ruckus was coming from. Haruta chose the moment to jump a shrieking Ace, both commanders tumbling down the stairs, not once ceasing their quarrel even as Deuce yelped in panic at the sight of them crashing over the steps. Quartz could hear Marco hiss something in a strange language she’s never heard of, but by how harsh it sounded, she guessed it wasn’t anything nice. “Dammit you two, _not on the stairs_!”

Marco groaned, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose as Thatch’s laughter only got louder, all the while Haruta and Ace were rolling around on deck. Quartz scrunched her nose up at the display of the childish squabble, huffing out a breath.

“They’re such children,” she sneered, and despite the stress from the sudden brawl, the 1st commander next to her couldn’t help but snort a short laugh in agreement.

“Pretty much,” he sighed but gave her a tired smile. “But when it’s them, it’s never serious. It’s pretty funny to watch actually, yoi.”

“Says the guy, who nearly had an aneurysm seeing two idiots duking it out on a flight of stairs.”

“You’re not funny.”

Quartz snorted at the near petulant reply. Unnoticed in front of them, Ace managed to press Haruta onto the planks, only for the fencer to deftly pull their legs up and pushing them into the other’s abdomen, using their momentum to fling Ace overhead away from them. Marco smiled at the amused sound the kid tried to smother, but that smile vanished quickly when an Ace-shaped weight was flung at him at maximum velocity, the impact catching him completely off guard. Quartz’s eyes went wide as she watched how Marco tipped over the railing, his surprised face morphing into baffled anger as he bellowed a loud ‘ _ACE!_ ’ before plunging into the sea below.

Ace, having miraculously stayed on the ship, nearly tipped over right after with how hard he had thrown himself at the railing, face panicked as Haruta came to a screeching halt next to him.

“ _Marco!_ ” The 2nd commander shrieked, before clutching his head and turning to the fencer. “I’m so _dead_! This is all your fault!”

“How was this my fault?!”

With a deadpan expression on her face, Quartz turned towards the gaping crew, nonchalantly throwing her thumb over her shoulder to point at the waters below.

“Somebody save the chicken.”

 

* * *

 

The jungle, upon further inspection and to Quartz’s secret delight, was huge.

Trees towered around them, thick trunks and strong roots tethering them to the soil beneath, undoubtedly rich in nutrients as dark round eyes surveyed the evergreen expanses of wild bush and plants. A tall plant rustled slightly and Quartz’s eyes immediately zeroed in on it, both curious and cautious – but instead of some wild animal, out came Thatch, thoughtfully inspecting a few leaves between his fingers, no doubt trying to figure out if they were appropriate for cooking.

After docking (and fishing out Marco from a watery grave), the crew had split up in various groups, big and small, with a ruled minimum of five members. Some ventured into the jungle, but a big part stayed behind on the beach, opting for a relaxing time instead. Whitebeard himself had been forced to stay on the beach, thanks to Paya, who had worn a pleasant smile that appeared a little too frigid and promising of direct impalement by her trusty needles, should anyone cross her. Quartz herself had barely hit the sand, when she straight up marched towards the jungle, only to be held back by the back of her collar by a stern Izo, who proceeded to wrestle a small backpack onto her.

Now, she was stuck in a small group consisting of her, Ace, Deuce, Thatch, Haruta, Begonia and Marco – the latter having taken the lead like some unspoken rule. Or, maybe because he was still mad at Ace for dive bombing him off the ship, judging by the lump Ace’s head was still sporting, bandaid having been slapped on hastily. Quartz joined the group on the dirt path again, falling in step with Ace, who seemed to be pouting miserably. Feeling eyes on him, he turned his head slightly to see his newest division member staring up at him with her round eyes. Her face shifted slightly and Ace furrowed his brows briefly in confusion, until he caught sight of the nasty little haughty grin peeking over her collar.

“ _Heh._ ”

“Shut up!” Ace groused at her, embarrassed blush blooming on his cheeks. Behind them, Begonia giggled as she pushed a low hanging branch out of her way, holding it up long enough to let Deuce pass through after her.

“Quartz, don’t bully your commander,” Deuce reminded her, although it was in a playful manner, it had Ace turning around to gape at his second-in-command in complete betrayal. In front of them, Haruta snickered gleefully.

“I’m not–!” Ace spluttered, straightening up from his slouch so abruptly, his hat jostled from its position on his back. “As if I’d let myself be bullied by some twelve-year-old!”

Now it was Quartz’s turn to splutter. “I’m fucking fifteen, you absolute shitwhistle!”

“ _Language_ , ( _yoi_ )” at least four voices echoed and finally Ace got to snicker in glee as Quartz clamped her mouth shut at the multiple reprimands, sucking her lips in petulantly. To escape her commander’s smug looks, she scuttled forward, ignoring Ace’s indignant squawk when she sidled up next to Marco, briefly glancing over her shoulder to stick her tongue out at the freckled youth. She turned to look back up to Marco, who had remained silent during the childish squabble.

“Where are we heading?” Quartz asked, hands unknowingly toying with the lapels on the backpack Izo had given her. The phoenix glanced down at her for a moment, before a half-smile formed on his lips.

“No where in particular, that’s what exploring is all about, yoi.” He watched how Quartz’s inquisitive face fell into vague disinterest. He raised his eyebrows. “Why? Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”

The youngest could feel eyes on her, it nearly urged her to fidget. “Dunno…when we docked, I saw some ruins on top of a cliff north-west from here.” Everyone perked up at that.

“Oh, sweet! Some ruins?” Haruta parroted, catching up to Quartz with an excited expression on their face. “We should totally check those out then!”

“Seconded!” Thatch called somewhere from behind, sounding slightly muffled. “Maybe we can find some treasure?”

The group broke out in excited chatter as they decided to take a break to determine what path they should take. They slowed to a stop once they reached a relatively free clearing, surrounded by the trees as a small creek ran through the steps of rocks and grass. Thatch made a pleased sound.

“Blimey! Now would you look at that.” He cheered, crouching down at the base of a tree, plucking something from the ground and turning around slightly to show it to the rest. “They have mushrooms!”

Quartz made a small noise of disgust, nose curling, and Haruta took a wary step back.

“Uh, yeah, no,” they said, eyeing the fungi suspiciously. “I don’t trust that, remember the last time you picked up some unknown mushrooms? That didn’t end well.”

Everyone, except Quartz, shuddered violently at the memory and the youngest watched them curiously. Thatch winced, clenching his teeth as if to will away the upcoming cringe of _that_ incident. Quartz tilted her head to the side slightly in question.

“Did’ya poison your own crew?”

Marco barked out a slightly hysterical laugh, Begonia had to pat his shoulder as if to comfort him. Thatch shot the kid a wry grin, scratching the back of his head.

“Believe it or not, kinda wish I had with that dodgy shit I brought back.” He stood up, gesturing with the mushroom still in hand. “Thought I’d try out some new recipe, only to figure out later that I cooked up some kind of bloody magic mushrooms, and not the fun kind, mind you. I still have nightmares of Blamenco attempting to salsa buck naked on top of the main mast for everyone to see.”

“Oh _ew_.” Quartz threw her hands up, wincing all the way as everyone else groaned at the unwanted memory. “Great, thanks for the visual, you doorknob.”

Thatch shrugged. “You asked. Besides, those mushrooms should be good, they pretty much look like the ones we usually have, so we should be all hunky-dory.”

“We better be,” Haruta threatened, sending the cook an _I’m-watching-you_ gesture, which only made him snort. The rest seemed to scatter, looking around themselves, curious. Marco crouched down next to the small stream of water, scrutinising it for a few seconds before scooping a handful into his mouth, swallowing it. Begonia propped her hands onto her knees, ducking down a little next to him.

“Any good?”

“Yeah,” Marco nodded, “water’s clean, better fill up your canteens now if you already drank some.”

Ace readily dunked his entire canteen into the stream, whistling a light tune as he waited for it to be filled completely. Next to him, Deuce filled up his own and Thatch’s canteen upon the cook’s request as he was still busy hunting down more mushrooms. Haruta, nimble and restless as they were, deftly climbed the small rock formations to access the water directly from the small waterfall. Marco screwed his canteen shut after it had been filled to the brim, shaking it a little to get rid of the excess water, when he caught a glimpse of Quartz standing on the other side of the stream, wet canteen still in hand as she stared into the dim jungle ahead of them.

“Quartz, yoi,” he called, only to be silenced when the kid raised a hand, a signal for everyone to stay quiet. The 1st commander blinked in surprise, until he suddenly spotted a pair of black round ears, nestled neatly within purple hair, each twitching organ decorated with a white spot on the back. He could faintly hear Haruta squeaking in delight. “How– Quartz, are those–“

“They’re afraid.” Quartz announced, turning her head to the side as her tiger ears swivelled forward, face pulled into a deep frown. “Why are they all afraid?”

Marco stood, as did the rest. “Who’s afraid, yoi?”

The girl turned to face him, pointing up. “Listen,” was all she said. So they did, all of them, an unnerving hush falling over the group. The jungle rustled slightly in the wind passing through, leaves brushing faintly against each other. Somewhere, a branch snapped. There was a quiet hum and buzz of insects. Ace’s brows knitted together in a frown matching Quartz’s.

“Where are the birds?”

And he was right; in midst of the soft rustling of the trees and buzzing of insects, there were only few birdcalls, all small and hasty chirps, as if they were afraid of being too loud. Out of the corner of his eye, Marco could see Begonia slowly reaching for one of the two battle axes strapped to her back – they were smaller than her usual ones, so they didn’t last too long with her monstrous strength but they made the cut in a pinch. Unease was palpable between all of them, such silence within a jungle of this size was just not normal.

“Come to think of it,” Ace’s voice cut through the quiet atmosphere like a knife, seeming way too loud even if he used his normal voice. “We didn’t encounter a single animal on our way here.”

Deuce shrugged, clueless. “Maybe they’re all skittish?”

“Too much so,” Quartz muttered, “by now we should’ve at least seen a deer or a rabbit, they venture nearly everywhere within their environment. But here? It’s like they stay put, just to stay safe.”

“How’d you know?” Thatch inquired, stepping next to Haruta, who held out his backpack to him. The round ears on top of purple hair circled back, folding down to lay flat on Quartz’s head as she pulled a face, nose scrunching up.

“This whole place reeks of _fear_.” Was the dark reply, that had Marco and Begonia exchange an uneasy glance, when Quartz snapped her head around, ears perked up. She sniffed the air and promptly slapped a hand over her nose. The sudden movement prompted Ace to move towards her, worry etched onto his face but the kid didn’t allow him to get close when she whirled around. “ _Shit_ , that’s disgusting!”

“What’s going on?” Ace asked, hand hovering over his youngest member’s shoulder and he could hear Haruta gasp. They pointed into the jungle, face alert.

“Something’s coming!” They warned, hand flying to their trusty saber hanging on their hip. Both Thatch and Begonia barely got their dual-wielding weapons ready when a massive black bear stormed into the clearing, thunderous roar almost shaking the entire jungle. It came to a screeching halt, heaving itself onto it’s hind-legs to tower over the group, giant maw open for everyone to see the red stained fangs dripping with a disgusting mix of saliva and blood. But the most terrifying thing about the animal wasn’t it’s aggressive disposition, not when looking like it had been starved to the very brink, eyes already alight in a crimson glow.

“Uh, anyone else see a very angry and very hungry bear with red glowing eyes, or have I been sniffing shrooms for too long?” Thatch asked warily, but got no answer when the animal lunged at them.

“ _Scatter_!” Marco yelled, leaping out of the beast’s path to the left as Begonia jumped to the right. “It’ll have a harder time choosing a prey with all of us running around!”

As if it understood his words, the bear snarled, whirling around with it’s beady red eyes set onto a crouching Quartz. It sprinted towards her with a throaty cry, causing her to squeak in outrage.

“Don’t pick me!”

“Well, they do need toothpicks from time to time.” Thatch teased over the chaos, his only response a shrieked ‘ _Fuck you, buttmunch!_ ’ as Quartz sailed through the air, having used a tree to catapult herself away from the bear. Thatch snickered and even Marco couldn’t help the amused grin – now, _this_ atmosphere was a lot more familiar.

“Alright, let’s show big ugly who’s boss here!” The phoenix declared, brilliant azure wings flaring as he swooped down to deliver a blazing pinwheel kick. The attack stunned the animal enough for Begonia and Deuce to whip their legs out to make the creature teeter in it’s losing balance, twin grins on their faces when Ace shot a burst of fire from his hands to boost him into the air. Quartz, having landed safely a few meters away, watched in silent awe how the group worked like a well-oiled machine, dealing out hits by hits in a familiar rhythm and the bear fell onto it’s back with a groan, Ace nearly overhead with his fist engulfed in fire. Something clenched within her chest as she observed the bear go down, ratty fur matted with blood not entirely it’s own, ribs poking out and glowing red eyes, shimmering with mindless, murderous rage.

“ _Fire Fist_!” Ace struck with his fist blazing, a fury of dancing flames towards the downed animal, smirk of victory on his lips – but his eyes widened in disbelief, when he spotted a purple blur racing between his attack and the bear, and with a yelp, he diverted his fire to the left, flames dangerously flying by, barely making the miss.

Quartz could feel the few licks of fire on her cheeks as she stood between the bear and Ace.

“ _Quartz_!” Haruta yelled in alarm, but the kid stood her ground as her commander landed. He straightened up, face a mix of worry, disbelief and anger.

“What the _hell_ do you think you’re _doing_?! I could’ve hit you!”

“Don’t kill it.” Quartz demanded, whipping an arm out as if to shield the groaning animal behind her. “Don’t kill the bear, it’s not her fault.”

Thatch lowered his two swords, frowning. “What?” The bear moved however, and he took up his stance again as the creature shook it’s head, clearly dazed. Quartz turned, quickly shuffling back, arms still out to hold back the group.

“It’s not her fault,” she repeated, eyes dark as she scrutinised the bear. “Look at her; she’s clearly starving, and yet she’s covered with blood–“ Too much fucking blood, Quartz could barely make out if it was human or animal– “whatever she killed, she didn’t eat it.”

“Great, so we have a bear that kills for pure fun?” Deuce questioned dully, pistol calmly trained onto the hulking mass in front of them. He could hear Quartz scoff.

“Most animals don’t kill for the thrill, especially not bears, when they kill, they kill to eat or to protect themselves.” She explained through gritted teeth, as ruby eyes focussed back on her. “And a bear with red glowing eyes? Something’s fishy here; she’s being deliberately starved as if she wasn’t allowed to eat. She’s being controlled.”

The animal groaned in a snarl, standing on wobbly paws before shaking her head again as she heaved herself back onto her hind legs. Red eyes glared mindlessly at the group, glazed over with unknown rage and beastly hunger as the bear roared again. New flames erupted along Ace’s arm.

“That thing won’t stop until it’s dead, that’s for sure,” he muttered darkly, forming another fist. “Might as well put it out of it’s misery when we’re already here.”

He barely had time to extinguish his flames, when he felt a weight thrown at his arm. With a shocked expression he stared down at Quartz, who had gripped his arm with a bruising force, trying to push it down against Ace’s own strength. The glare she gave him was filled with unrelenting fury and a lick of desperation.

“You can’t!” Quartz yelled, baring her fangs. “Haven’t you been listening to me? She’s being controlled, it’s not her fault!”

“Then tell that to _her_ , not _us_!” Ace argued, trying to yank his arm back as his shoulders sparked with warning embers. “You can’t expect us to just stand there and take it, she’ll maul us to death if we don’t do something! Trust me, I’ve dealt plenty with those bears!”

This was really not the time for a fight and Marco was about to break it up, when Quartz snarled in frustration, actually daring to kick her foot into Ace’s shin – of course, it passed through harmlessly in a cloud of warm flames.

“ _I don’t care_!” She all but screeched into her commander’s face after she successfully pulled him down by his necklace. “How can you stand yourself attacking an innocent being, who never chose to do this? Why does _she_ have to pay the price for something that wasn’t _her_ fault?”

The resulting tense silence had Quartz and Ace glaring at each other, face to face, angry breaths fanning against their skin – dark round eyes shimmered with something that wasn’t quite rage and Ace bit the inside of his cheek to prevent his face from slipping into something taken aback. The words stirred up something familiar within his chest and for some reason, as his eyes observed the girl’s face – stoic, unrelenting, determined, _pleading_ –, he had a feeling she wasn’t just talking about the bear. He wondered.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get very far, considering the sound of wolf howls started up within the depths of the jungle, prompting dozens of birds to flee their trees in a panicked frenzy. The bear in front of them fell onto her four legs, as if a switch had been flipped and the hollow howls continued to ring through the trees. With lightning steps the group gathered, back to back in a circle with their weapons ready as Quartz was squeezed between Ace and Deuce, her tiger ears folded back at the loud noise.

“Looks like we’ve got company,” Thatch murmured with a dark grin as he steadied his grip around his swords. Around them, branches and bushes cracked as several heavy creatures waded through the green into the clearing – wolves in enormous sizes, almost as big as the numerous bears. Between all the dark brown, black and grey, Marco could see a few leopards and tigers and he couldn’t fight down the short chill crawling up his spine, when he found similarities in all of the animals; crazed and wild with hunger, starving bodies looking like walking corpses, maws wide open and glistening with a mix of saliva and blood, as red as their eyes. Curiously enough, some of them were ridden by humans.

“Pirates,” Begonia hissed, when she spotted a jollyroger on a flag attached to a wolf. The strange men viciously grinned down at them, malevolence clear in their eyes. At the front, one of the men shifted forward, uncaringly propping his elbow up on the head of the wolf he was riding, Quartz could feel her lips twitching in the urge to pull them back in an ugly snarl. The man scrutinised them, especially leering at Begonia, sick sly grin growing on his face.

“Been a while since we had fresh meat,” he announced loudly, making his surrounding comrades jeer. “Captain Rango, is it feeding time yet?”

Behind him, a deep dark chuckle emerged and not a moment later, the presumed captain appeared, leaning back in a seat propped up and strapped onto the back of a massive panther. The captain’s dirty black hair had been tied back into a ponytail, sides of his head shaven off and a glaring red bandanna tied around his head. He grinned, showing off his row of yellowing teeth, few already missing.

“Not yet, boys, not yet.” He drawled in a voice, it made Quartz skin curl in revolt. Red hot anger rose within her, when her eyes fell onto the man’s panther, looking just as starved and delirious, panting with obvious exhaustion as red eyes stared into the air in unawareness. Nails dug into her palms as she clenched her hands into tight fists and she surged forward before Ace got the chance to pull her back.

“ _You_ ,” Quartz hissed with as much venom as she could, fearlessly marching forward, ignoring the calls of her name. “What did you do to them?!”

Rango’s alleged crew stared at her in stunned silence, as if they couldn’t comprehend that the young teenager was the first one to dare and step forward. The captain however, only threw his head back and cackled, an ugly sound that only served to feed Quartz’s growing temper.

“Figures you must’ve sympathised with my pets!” Rango vexed, emphasising by none too gently bringing his boot down onto the back of his panthers head. His cold golden eyes watched Quartz carefully, before chuckling cruelly. “But that was expected, coming from a Zoan User after all.”

Shards of ice bloomed in Quartz’s chest – _how did he know_? The small slip of terror must’ve shown, then the man grinned maliciously.

“No need to look so surprised, I’ve done my homework, you know. Actually, I should thank you for bringing such a valuable pet such as yourself and him.” He nodded at something behind the girl. “Whitebeard’s 1st division commander; Marco the Phoenix. You’d be a fantastic add-on to my… _collection_.”

Humourless laughter began when the captain opened his arms to gesture at all the surrounding animals. Marco remained unimpressed, eyes only narrowing in contempt.

“Pass,” he drawled, “I’m not exactly keen on being put on a leash.”

“I thought as much,” Rango sighed, sounding vaguely disappointed, but his smirk never left his face as he flexed his fingers. “But no worries…my Tame Tame Powers can easily change your mind, once I get my hands on you.”

Begonia clicked with her tongue. “Devil Fruit powers, of course,” she hissed under her breath, hazel eyes surveying the starving animals. “No wonder those poor creatures behave like mindless drones, Quartz was right.”

The kid in question growled, finally baring her fangs. “You think you’re so high and mighty because you ate some disgusting fruit that gave you some freak ability, now you parade around and enslave harmless animals, only because you know they can’t fight back!” She spat in a righteous fury that Marco hadn’t seen since her fight with Ace. The young commander next to him seemed to notice. “You’re nothing but a coward with a big mouth!” Quartz continued to shout and Rango’s sly smirk suddenly gained a dangerous edge, that had warning goosebumps racing up Marco’s spine.

“How would you feel about a demonstration then, _Tiger Cub_?” Rango offered and at the unexpected epithet, the girl clearly faltered. Her allies didn’t take note of it immediately as they called her name.

“ _Quartz, get back here!_ ” Haruta yelled, just as Rango trusted his arm out, pointing at the group.

“ _Get me the cub and the phoenix!_ ”

 

And all hell broke loose.

 

Animals, previously growling and drooling on standby, now snapped into motion at a terrifying speed as they threw themselves into the fray, jaws wide open. Roars, snarls and howls quickly filled the before peaceful clearing, and Deuce grabbed Ace by the belt to wrench him out of the way of an oncoming wolf, grunting as it sailed past them overhead. Human battle cries mixed themselves into the animalistic cacophony and Thatch brought his swords up just in time to block another blade from the enemy.

Blue wings flared to life as Marco launched himself into the air to escape an oncoming trio of men – gunshots rang out and he could feel the bullets drilling themselves into his back, passing through him and blue flames made quick work of the wounds. A tiger made a grab for him, but Marco swung his leg back to land a solid hit on it’s face and it went down with a yowl, only to be grabbed by Begonia, who, with an almighty war cry, flung the poor thing into a advancing group of pirates.

“Shoot him down!” The yell alerted the 1st commander and he barely had time to tilt his head as an arrow whizzed right past him, it’s only evidence a small, thin cut on his cheek, which burst into blue as it healed. More bullets and arrows were directed at him and Marco quickly manoeuvred through the air, agile and graceful despite the pandemonium below him. He spotted Rango, still seated on his throne, watching him with golden eyes alight like an apex predator – Marco had a bad feeling about this.

A burly man with his breath reeking of alcohol grunted noisily, when Quartz whipped her leg out in a crouch to slam her foot into his knee, hearing a satisfying crack when it connected painfully with his kneecap. As the man doubled over, she used the momentum of her swing to transfer her weight onto her hands, curling into herself before shooting up, both feet connecting solidly with the man’s chin. He groaned, eyes rolling up as he went down like a sack of potatoes next to Quartz, who sneered at his unconscious form, before surveying her surroundings. The whole battlefield was a wild disaster of furry bodies and silver weapons, plumes of fire occasionally rocketing up into the air. She made a dismayed sound – what if the flames hit the animals? Her train of thought was interrupted by a yelp to her right, sounding too close for her liking and she whirled around only to see Marco perched on the unconscious body of the man, who had attempted to sneak up on the girl. Blue wings disappeared as the 1st commander plucked his opponents sword from his hand, testing the weight before deeming it appropriate. His dark eyes zeroed in on Quartz.

“Pay attention, yoi,” he scolded and the kid looked appalled for a second; mid-battle and the pineapple found the time appropriate for a lecture? Despite his words, there was a small grin on his lips. “You fight good for someone of your size–“ Quartz made a high-pitched sound in indignation, but Marco’s serious look made her swallow down the complaints she had ready on her tongue– “however, you have to be careful. Try to remain in human-form for the battle, and most importantly; stay away from Rango, something’s fishy.”

A potential snarky retort laid heavy on her tongue, but Quartz pressed her lips together in order to keep it from slipping. Marco, while a bit of a worrywart but ultimately laid-back in most circumstances, seemed almost unnaturally stern, his dark eyes that usually twinkled with sly amusement and an ancient unknown now appeared hardened, glimmering with a dull shine like darkest obsidian. So, Quartz nodded jerkily as if to say, _okay, I trust you_. For a second, the phoenix just stared at her with a look of slight bafflement – this must’ve been the first time the girl had shown complete faith in his words. His momentary distraction lasted a second too long, by the time he registered the slight whistle of wood and steel cutting through the air towards them, Marco could only whip his head around to see what exactly was about to hit him – he saw the brief flash of a battle-axe.

“ _Marco_!”

It was as if time had slowed down and Marco could hear Quartz’s harried voice calling for him, before he felt small hands tugging him forward, down, and a blur of purple passed him. His eyes widened in alarm – no, no way in hell was she about to take the hit for him, he can heal, she cannot and his hand moved to grab her by the back of her collar, but Quartz slipped out of his grasp, the tip of his finger barely brushing against her jacket and his heart skipped a terrified beat. There was a snarl – wild and full of wrath and _familiar._

“ _Blizzard Drill_!”

Numerous screams pitched throughout the battlefield and Marco could vaguely hear metal shattering as a cold gust of wind whipped him in the face. He had to squint through the spiralling wind before it vanished, disappearing from the clutches of the tight wind curls and despite the sunny weather and humid atmosphere of the jungle, Marco could see his own breath in the cooling air. At the puff of smoke escaping his lips, he furrowed his brows in wonder, until someone landed in front of him; Whitebeard’s mark grinned mischievously at him, stitched to the back of a teal jacket. Quartz stood, purple hair billowing slightly as in front of her laid a swath of destruction – upturned earth loose and exposed, peppered with shattered swords and broken arrows leading up to a pile of beaten down pirates. The girl turned her head slightly to stare at Marco over her shoulder and the commander had to blink; round dark pupils had thinned into the shape of diamonds, eyes now decorated with what looked like black stripes and tufts of white – in her sleeves, big tiger paws bulged, replacing her usually skinny arms with white fur covered in dark stripes, claws glinting in the sunlight. _Partial Zoan Form_ , Marco’s mind supplied him helpfully until it fully hit him; Quartz just revealed her zoan powers. _Willingly_.

“Pay attention,” Quartz growled at him, reminiscent of Marco’s own words just moments before she had slugged away the oncoming axe with her massive paws, sending one of her frigid attacks after it as if to punish the ones, who thought it would’ve been a good idea to attempt to injure _Marco_ of all people right in front of her.

“Yeah, Quartz!” Tiger ears twitched at the wild cheer, and with a slightly startled expression, Quartz whirled her head around to spot Haruta in the midst of kicking some guy down the rocky steps. The fencer grinned brightly, eyes alight with excitement. “Raze ‘em to the ground ’til nothing’s left of these assholes!”

The genuine surprise on Quartz’s face made Marco’s heart ache a little, but he shook it off in favour of grinning at the kid. “Nice one, Stripes,” he complimented her earnestly, before almost brutally socking a oncoming guy in the face, knocking him out clean.

“ _Get the Phoenix_!”

Rango's command echoed over the chaos, and Marco spotted him finally advancing into battle, golden eyes shimmering eagerly with a near manic grin splitting his face. A heavy lump settled within the phoenix’s stomach – he didn’t like this, not one bit. Something was terribly off and it frustrated him to no end that he couldn’t figure out what _exactly_ was about to fuck him sideways. Marco readied his sword anyway, charging forward; might as well get rid of the maniac before he got to be a problem. However, halfway in and he was intercepted by not one, but three possessed animals – one massive bear flanked by two equally enormous wolves.

“ _Shit_.” Was the only thing Marco said, before delivering a kick to the bears chin, quickly ducking away as one of the wolves lunged. Too busy trying to evade wrathful claws and sharp teeth reeking of rotten blood, the commander lost sight of Rango. He managed to injure the bear enough to keep it stunned for a few seconds, using the precious time window to toss one of the wolves a little further into the fray, hoping for it to become distracted. The last wolf snarled, charging at him before lunging, exposing it’s belly and Marco saw his chance, drawing his sword for a fatal strike, until a young voice cried out over the noise of the battle.

“ _No, don’t hurt them_!”

Marco immediately stilled, before growling as he, in the last split-second, switched his grip on the blade to let the dull side connect with the wolves ribs with enough force to whip it against a tree trunk. As soon as it yowled, the commander turned to spot Quartz not too far off, looking incredibly small within the battle raging around her. Despite her tiger features, her eyes had dilated back into its usual roundness, dark pools wide with a vulnerable look of concern – _don’t hurt them, it’s not their fault_.

Something appeared behind her and Marco’s insides turned to ice – Rango, having taken advantage of Quartz’s momentary distraction, towered over her, his dark shadow falling over her smaller form finally announcing his presence to the girl, who reacted just a second too late. A large hand connected painfully with her neck and Quartz choked as she was lifted into the air, strong fingers squeezing the last of the precious oxygen escaping her throat. Rango grinned cruelly.

“ _Quartz_!” Marco shouted, already dashing forward, when a shadow from the corner of his eye grabbed his attention. With wide eyes he watched how a lunging wolf enclosed his bicep within it’s rows of teeth, clamping down like a vice. His regeneration powers had equipped Marco with years worth of pain tolerance, but as soon as those bloodied fangs sunk into his flesh, a burning flare of pain shot through his entire being and he couldn’t help the scream of pain. To make matters worse, as he was forced onto his knees, world turning blurry at the edges as he watched Quartz dangling helplessly in the air by her neck, a horrifying epiphany hit him; Marco had been just a distraction, a misdirection, despite Rango’s focus on him, _Quartz_ had been his original goal.

Rango chuckled maliciously, almost leering at the struggling teen in his hand. “Excellent, your wild attitude will equip you with wonderful instincts. Time to tame you, Cub.” The corner of his mouth twitched down slightly, when Quartz delivered a vicious kick to his arm with whatever was left of her dwindling powers as her air ran low. She grunted.

“Fuck…you,” she choked out, claws digging into his skin. “I’m…human…you can’t…tame me!”

“Oh, but that’s where you are _wrong_ , Cub,” Rango half-singsonged, bringing her closer and the girl watched how red glowing rings appeared within his golden irises. “Here’s the thing; as a Zoan, you might be human some of the time, but in any other form, you gain the same attributes as every other animal. And I can tame _any_ animal to do my bidding.”

Satisfaction crossed his face, when he saw the brief flash of fear in those dark round eyes. He leaned closer, the red glowing rings in his eyes reflecting within Quartz’s own. “I’ve been waiting for you, _Oriel Bexley_.” At the name, Quartz froze completely, eyes impossibly wide in shock.

“How…” she wheezed, a pathetic little thing and Rango laughed, obviously enjoying the mental torment he’s putting the younger through.

“The Marines would pay a pretty penny for you,” he said as he watched with a pleased expression how his newest victim became completely enraptured with observing the red rings. “Unfortunately for them, I’d like to keep you.”

“That’s enough,” a voice called from behind, clearly shaking with rage. “ _Fire Fist_!”

With a yelp, Rango let go of Quartz, who fell bonelessly to the ground, just as a wall of fire erupted in front of her, effectively cutting her from Rango’s reach. Ace pulled his fist back, eyes ablaze with anger at having seen his youngest comrade being handled like a mindless rag doll. He marched up to the captain, the smell of smoke evident in the air as embers fell from his shoulders in a constant rain.

“Touch her again, and I will grill you _alive_ ,” the 2nd commander spat, stopping short in front of Rango, who slowly rose to his feet, chuckling. The man gave Ace a sly smirk.

“Of course,” he said in an almost pleasant voice, it made the freckled commander eye him suspiciously. Rango even bowed slightly, gesturing with his hand. “Why don’t you have her back, hm? _Kill him_.”

Ace was about to laugh; as if Quartz – grumpy, stubborn, moody Quartz – would obey his words. However, the world quickly tilted as Ace was slammed to the ground at high speed, the back of his head painfully connecting with the ground below. In a daze, he blinked up at a shadow sitting on his chest.

“Quartz…?” He mumbled, disbelieving, before his eyes widened when he saw her pulling one of her paws back, claws glinting within the still burning fire – soot flecked her cheeks and blackened patches had been burnt into her clothes, when Quartz had lunged through the wall of flames. Dark circle eyes glowed bright red on her expressionless face and Ace’s heart fell. “ _No_ …”

A white paw came rushing down and Ace jerked his head to the side, feeling how the ground split underneath the sheer force the no doubt finishing punch Quartz had just executed. Thinking quickly, the commander hooked one of his legs around her neck, pulling an irritated snarl from her, as he tugged her to the ground, rolling off to the side. He was barely back onto his feet, when he willed his body into fire just as tiger claws harmlessly passed through a cloud of flames – _she’s fast_.

Fire burned around them as Rango cackled behind Quartz, her empty red eyes trained onto her commander, who had been reduced to nothing but a faceless target for her to kill. She dashed towards him, a blur of white and purple, and Ace could only evade, letting her hits pass through his body of flames. Quartz came at him again and he was prepared, his fist clenched for a quick knock out, biding his time as she came speeding closer, closer, _closer_ –

 

( _“I…don’t mind.” she said quietly, feeling the weight of Ace’s gaze on her. “Meeting Kotatsu, that is.”_

_She continued to pet the lynx, who happily dozed on her legs and missed the smile Ace directed at her._

_“Cool.”_

_She looked vaguely content._ )

 

– and he _couldn’t_. Ace made a frustrated noise, just as Quartz reached him, and he caught her, using her momentum to fling her away from him. She hit the ground once, before landing on all fours, skidding backwards until she came to a halt.

“ _Ace_!” He turned to see Begonia and Haruta racing towards him. Behind them, Thatch and Deuce flanked an obviously injured Marco, whose blue flames already licked at his wounds. Deuce seemed hurt too, judging by the way he pressed his right hand onto his left shoulder, bloody patch visible underneath.

A cacophony of growls and snarls started up again, and Ace faced forward once more, spotting Quartz stationed in front of a sadistically grinning Rango, his various tamed animals circling like vultures, attention trained onto the group of outnumbered Whitebeards. A few of them gasped once they saw Quartz, whose red eyes showed no recognition – only empty, mindless apathy. Marco could feel his chest clench painfully at the sight.

“How _dare_ you!” Haruta shrieked in outrage, saber brandished as they glared at Rango. “How dare you lay your dirty hands on one of our sisters!”

Rango chuckled darkly. “A sister? For that she must be human first!” He laughed, until he noticed the unchanging expressions of the group. He smirked. “Oh my, looks like she hasn’t told you a thing, hm?”

Marco almost flinched at that. Next to him, he could hear Thatch growl as Rango’s lackeys, the few who remained standing, joined the circle, all grinning in grim victory. They were outrageously outnumbered, two injured and one member completely incapacitated.

This wasn’t looking good.

“Marco?” Ace asked from the front, clenched fists engulfed in flames as he stared the enemy down. “What’s the plan?”

The phoenix assessed the situation, but he already knew the ugly truth. He glared at Rango, who knew about the truth just as much, hatred flaring up within his chest as he watched how the man set a hand down onto Quartz’s head. Marco bit his lip, almost hard enough to draw blood.

“Retreat.” He muttered bitterly. The reaction was instantaneous; Ace nearly exploded.

“ _What?!_ ” He whirled around, face a mix of utter disbelief and anger. “I’m not abandoning Quartz!”

“We’re not abandoning her, we’re making a tactical retreat–“

“We’re _running away_!”

“Then who will beat her, huh?” Marco shot back, irritation running it’s course at the accusation of abandoning a crew mate. “Will you beat her? We don’t know how to snap her out of it, so will you be willing to beat her to an inch of her life so she’ll be too exhausted to attack us? _Would you do it, Ace_?”

Of course he wouldn’t. Despite his rough layers of cheer, changing moods and simmering rage, Ace was gentle at heart, kind and loving to the ones he cared about. And it showed, his dark brown eyes shimmering with horror and shame as Ace hung his head, lip quivering.

Marco’s heart ached for the younger, but he willed his anger back to the surface, putting all of his wrath in one scathing glare at Rango. “This isn’t over yet,” he promised darkly, eyes flitting over to Quartz and his heated gaze turned almost sorrowful. He could feel Begonia’s warm hands guiding him backwards as they retreated, Quartz’s red eyes following their every movement, but not once moving a muscle herself.

“Should we go after them, Captain?” One of Rango’s men asked and the man sneered.

“No,” he decided, watching how the Whitebeard’s disappeared behind the foliage. “Let them wallow in the shame, they’re known to be a pretty prideful bunch. This’ll be a big blow to their ego, not, Cub?”

He cackled, his crew joining in, but Quartz remained silent, staring mindlessly into the jungle.

 

Defeat never felt so bitter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious about little tidbits of Quartz? About her and the crew?
> 
> Why not ask Quartz herself! Find her and her usual shenanigans on Quartz' ask Blog!  
> <https://ask-the-tiger-cub.tumblr.com>
> 
> Don't worry, she won't bite. Much.


	7. The Girl and the Beast (but they were the same) Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tale continues, the line of monster and man blurred – which face is true and which is not? Tell me, who is really the Monster?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salutations!
> 
> I'm am absolutely mortified with how goddamn LATE this chapter is. To be fair; I kinda struggled with this chapter, GOD, there was so much I wanted to include and didn't know how to include and it was a MESS, but here it is now and I am satisfied! And I hope you are too!  
> Thank you all so much for your support on here and on Quartz's blog, your kind words are appreciated AHHH THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE! I'm eager to get to the next chapter because I finally get to write some much needed bonding between two characters, OH HO HO.  
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, let me know what you think! I wish you all a wonderful day and take care!  
> – Crow
> 
>  
> 
> POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS:  
> \- mentions of Animal Abuse  
> \- mentions of Starvation  
> – Blood and Violence  
> Stay Safe!

* * *

 

They trudged through the jungle, footsteps heavy yet set into a brisk pace with the strong smell of smoke surrounding them. Marco still held a hand over his nasty bite wound he had sustained; the wolf that had nearly teared his arm off really had gunned for that particular goal, jaws locked like a vice as it roughly tugged, tearing into his bicep. Blue flames licked at the bleeding flesh wound, knitting damaged muscles back together. He looked up at Ace, who was the source of the campfire smell as he stormed ahead of all of them.

The young commander was angry. Enraged even, tension drawing his shoulders tight together and Marco couldn’t fault him for that; Ace’s newest and youngest member just had been brainwashed into being some lowlife pirate’s guard dog. Rage clawed at Marco’s chest, rearing it’s ugly head, when the cold feeling of shame washed over the fiery anger, gripping his heart painfully – Quartz was still there, back there with that coward of a man. He tried hard not to think of the young kid with those big wary eyes, grumpy face slowly peeling out of those distrustful glares and instead carefully adopting that neutral ever inquisitive stare, that sometimes shimmered with something, which Marco had soon found out was tentative _hope_.

And he had ordered to _leave_ her.

A warm hand gently came down onto his shoulder and only then Marco loosened the fist he had brutally clenched his hand in. He chanced a glance to his right, meeting Begonia’s hazel eyes.

“You did the right thing, Commander,” she said quietly, providing words of comfort. “We’ll get her back, there is no way Pops will let that bastard walk away unpunished.”

A dark promise and a chilling truth; Edward Newgate was widely known for treating his crew like family, a big bunch of misfits and ragtags that had been stringed together into one giant pirate crew. For that, many mistook Whitebeard to be a benevolent and sensitive old man – but Edward Newgate was not a kind man. It wasn’t kindness that bestowed him with the title of _Strongest Man Of The World_ , he was just as much of a ruthless pirate that could raze down entire islands if he wished and has done so. If anyone dared to threaten or harm what was his, the man struck them down in a blink of an eye, swift and unforgiving, but he was no man without reason. And that was exactly why Whitebeard was so feared amongst the sailors and pirates alike – he’s aware of his tremendous power and he knew _exactly_ how to use it. In other words; Whitebeard would have no qualms over slicing Rango in half at a moments notice, and the thought did bring a small comfort with it. Rango will pay for the humiliation, for his dishonourable way of battle and for the fact that he had dared to take one of their own.

Marco looked around – Ace’s shoulders were still tense with Deuce diligently striding after him as he pressed a hand to his own wounds. Haruta wore a dark look on their face and Thatch had his brows furrowed, his trademark laid-back grin unusually absent. No words were exchanged between the lot of them, but they shared the same promise: _war_.

And Marco was just fine with that.

 

* * *

 

Whitebeard’s amber eyes were set upon the jungle as he sat in his usual chair on the sun-warmed beach. Despite the wonderful weather and scenery, he was frowning, mouth set to a grim line as he surveyed the vast green ahead of him. At the dainty touch of a much smaller hand on his own, he finally tore his intense gaze away to look down at Nana, one of his nurses with long black hair, contrasting rather beautifully with her pale complexion and dark red lipstick. She gave him a questionable look from beneath her dark lashes.

“Are you feeling unwell, Oyaji?” She asked, now slightly concerned. The man gave her a small grin, placating her upcoming worries.

“Not at all, my child,” he reassured her, eyes moving back to the jungle and his face turned somber again. “I was just deep in thought.”

Nana followed his line of sight. “Do you think something might’ve happened to the others in the jungle?”

“I like to think that they’re alright,” Whitebeard hummed, eyes narrowing. “But there is something in the air.”

The general unease the jungle exuded hadn’t gone beneath Whitebeard’s radar; he had noticed how the seagulls gave wide berth to the island, never straying closer than necessary, as if the were trying to avoid something unknown to the pirates. The captain had already given word to Izo and Fossa, who had informed the rest of the commanders residing at the beach – each of them stationed around vigilantly, but not attracting too much attention to ruin the lighthearted atmosphere. Underneath all the happy facade and beautiful flora of the island, an underlying current of nervous energy buzzed, tingling just barely beneath Whitebeard’s fingertips.

He didn’t like it. The energy grated on his old bones, the looming threat of the unknown, and he was about to spread out his entirety of observation haki to get a brief gist of what the hell was actually going on, when a call from within the crowd drew his attention.

“Oh hey! Marco’s back!” A crew member cheered, waving his tankard around, his brethren immediately chiming in in good natured camaraderie. Whitebeard wasn’t one to worry much; he found it took up way too much energy that could’ve been spent on something productive. But at the word of his few missing children arriving back in one piece, did seem to elevate a curious heaviness from his heart. However, he took one look at the arriving group, and he knew immediately something had gone horribly wrong.

Ace looked downright _murderous_. A face he hadn’t seen in a while as he marched up to Whitebeard, dark eyes positively alight with a rage that demanded in shrieks for blood. The captain let his old eyes linger over the rest of the team, taking in Marco’s healing flames flickering over his form and Deuce pressing his hand onto a wound on his left shoulder. The most glaring problem, however, didn’t go unnoticed by anyone.

“Where is Quartz?” Izo asked sharply, after having hurried to Thatch to check on him, before moving on to the rest. The lighthearted atmosphere started to dim and worried crew mates flocked closer, the twins June and July already fussing over Deuce. At Izo’s question, murmurs broke out and Whitebeard observed how Ace bit his lower lip, face pinched in a strange mix of frustration and anger. A haunted look passed over the faces of the entire group, until Haruta spoke up.

“Quartz was taken from us,” they admitted quietly with scratches littering their face and spots of blood tarnishing their evergreen tunic. The forlorn expression on their face turned into an ugly snarl as they practically spat the next words. “Taken by a despicable coward of a man!”

The reaction was immediate;

“ _What?!_ ”

“ _How did this happen!_ ”

“ _Who dared to mess with us!_ ”

Whitebeard merely raised a hand, signalling the order for silence, his other hand barely restraining from crushing the armrest he’d been clutching ever since he spotted the injuries on his children. Tense silence settled and he lowered his hand again, amber eyes finding Marco’s brown ones, heart growing heavy once more as he saw the shame in them.

“My son,” Whitebeard spoke. “Tell me, what happened to you.”

And Marco did, Begonia and Thatch both standing almost vigilantly on each side of the phoenix, as if trying to ward off the sense of shame that creeped onto Marco since their retreat. He told his father everything; from their journey towards the clearing to Quartz’s discovery of the ruins atop of the highest cliff to Rango and the battle with the beasts and to their inevitable, humiliating retreat, forced by Rango’s hand as he manipulated their youngest into his cruel clutches. As Marco finished his tale, despite his shame and personal failure in not being able to protect everyone like he had promised oh so long ago, he refused to lower his head. Instead, he met his father’s gaze head on, brown eyes hard. Whitebeard loosened his crushing grip on his armrest, eyes solemn.

“This must’ve been hard on you, Marco.” He said into the silence. “To make such a decision in such a dire situation as this. It must’ve been hard on all of you.”

“We _left_ her,” Ace hissed, kicking up some sand. “We had to, but it doesn’t change the fact that she’s with that _monster_ now, who’s using her as his personal fighting machine!”

“Not for long,” Deuce spoke up behind him, gaze hard behind his blue mask. “We are getting her back, we’re not leaving Quartz.”

“Damn right we aren’t!” Someone cried out in the crowd surrounding them. “We’re gonna show those bastards!”

War cries rose from within the mass of crew members, all shouting their support.

“ _How dare they lay a hand on one of our own!_ ”

“ _We’ll make ‘em pay for the humiliation on our family!_ ”

“ _They won’t get away with messing with the Whitebeard Pirates!_ ”

Swords were drawn, war hammers and axes were knocked against shields and pistols were loaded – to mess with one of their own, not to mention to have the sheer _guts_ to take one of their own, was a clear declaration of war. A Whitebeard never fought alone, and they won’t stop now. The entirety of the 2nd division assembled behind Ace, many familiar faces of the former Spade Pirates grinning savagely at their former captain, now commander.

“What’s the plan, Boss?” Banshee asked, hand resting on her heavy pistol strapped to her hip. Cordelia and Saber stood close behind her, all looking ready to pick a fight. Ace blinked for a bit, stunned, until Deuce joined them, nodding encouragingly.

“Quartz-chan belongs in our division, no one is allowed to take her away from us.” Cordelia sniffed and Ace managed a small but grateful smile, which quickly turned sharp.

“Right,” he agreed, a new found fire in his eyes. He turned towards Marco, who only nodded, as did the rest of the group. His head tilted up to stare at Whitebeard expectantly, who had previously surveyed the whole rally without words. The old man simply raised an eyebrow.

“Do you have a plan?”

“We can make one,” Haruta piped up again, seemingly having regained their mischievous chipper attitude thanks to the support of their division and crew. Thatch grinned for the first time after their retreat, nudging Izo with his elbow. The gunslinger’s lips curled deviously as he expertly twirled one of his trusty pistols and behind him, Begonia demanded for her battle-axes. Marco’s eyes were back on Whitebeard and he nodded.

“We have a plan,” he said, his usual sly half-grin appearing on his lips. He waved Deuce over, fingers already alight with his healing flames to make quick work of the wound the writer had received. “I actually already thought of something, yoi.”

Vista barked a laugh. “Attaboy!”

And the crew cheered. Whitebeard closed his eyes for a few seconds, taking in the sounds of camaraderie, devotion and family. He exhaled and reached for his bisento, rising onto his feet.

“Well then,” he concluded, “let’s hear it.” He grinned down onto his family, his own eyes sparkling with the same eager fire, although, there was also the unmistakable glint of wrath beneath the pride. The air crackled around him.

“I want to meet that son of a bitch, who thinks he can take my daughter.”

 

* * *

 

Rango was not a good man. To put it simply, that is; he was not. And his background had barely anything to do with his cruel streak today – some assumed he must have experienced something painful in his young life to be willing to inflict that pain onto someone else. But no, Rango had no tragic experience, so to speak. That fact only served to paint him even more disgraceful than before.

Rango was a simple man, who discovered the abilities of the Tame Tame fruit, and decided to play around with them to gain its knowledge, its power and started tapping into its potential. Maybe that’s what got to his head, the sense of power over an innocent creature, to have it do his every bidding. Who knew really, upon the question “ _Why?_ ” asked by fear filled eyes as they gazed up at Rango, past his snarling panther, iron cold golden eyes glinting in the raging fire accented by screams and wails as wild animals possessed by the devil himself ran the village to the ground. He had only grinned, cruel and dirty; “ _Because I can._ ”

And that’s exactly what he did; because Rango could, thanks to his powers.

The ruins atop of the island had become a base of some sorts for the Rango Pirates – their captain intended to fully use it as an HQ, seeing how rich the wild fauna was. Plenty of animals for him to tame and control, he had been looking forward to building his battalion of beasts. With the amount of creatures he had under his thumb, bringing down the infamous Whitebeard pirates would almost be too easy. Rango grinned, sharp as a blade as it reflected within the shiny surface of the golden coin he had been playing around with. The malicious face only brightened when he lifted his gaze to his right; if the battle would happen to go sideways, he always had this particular ace up his sleeve. It was highly unlikely the Whitebeards would attack someone of their own and the thought made Rango cackle.

Quartz, stationed obediently to his right as Rango sat upon a crumbled throne of stone, only stared blankly ahead. Her usual onyx eyes replaced with an unnerving shade of red, dull and soulless, unseeing and yet able to rip anything into shreds at a moments notice. All her Master had to do was give her the word. Her ears pitched forward, twitching at the sound of rapid footsteps on the cracked and ruined cobblestone floor.

“Captain!” The approaching crew member yelped, coming to a short stop in front of the throne, trying not to shiver as the ruby eyes of his captain’s new bodyguard zeroed in on him. “We just got word from the Leopard Squad that the Whitebeards are on the move!”

Nonchalantly, Rango flipped the coin in his hand. “Really now?” His golden eyes go skyward to the missing ceiling, having caved in a long time ago, leaving only a heap of rocks and the few standing ionic columns framing the ruins of an once grand palace. He searched the blue expanse until he heard a haunting melody, sung in tones unknown to man. Rango grinned.

“There you are,” he said haughtily as he watched how the azure phoenix circled the ruins briefly, before flying off again, no doubt reporting back to his captain. Rango twirled the coin between his fingers. “Prepare all squads for battle, I want that phoenix.”

“Yes, captain. The Leopards are already engaging them as we speak.”

“Perfect,” Rango purred, a gleeful smirk on his face. His eyes fell back onto Quartz. “Cub, I have a task for you.”

Her ear twitched; she was listening. The self-assured smirk of Rango only grew.

 

 

Meanwhile, Marco headed straight back towards the tree line, transforming back sans arms in order to perch on a branch. He turned to his right, nodding at Begonia. Her face brightened and she proceeded to pass on the message via a small transpondersnail.

“We’re right on track, head towards the ruins!”

“ _Roger that_.” Blenheim’s voice responded, followed by a few other confirmations until Jozu’s voice rang through.

“ _They know we’re here; just ran into a whole squad full of leopards_.” As if to punctuate, a loud snarl was heard in the background, followed by a grunt of the commander. “ _There are so many, where the hell did that bastard get them all from?_ ”

“At this point, I bet he has at least half of the animals on this bloody island under his control,” Thatch said from his position underneath the tree Marco and Begonia sat in. “Just remember; _don’t_ kill the animals. Knock ‘em out if you have to, but not fatally.”

His transpondersnail uttered another grunt. “ _Easier said than done, those shits are vicious_.” Curiel muttered. It seemed like that the 3rd and 10th division already got their hands full; each division took a separate path towards the ruins, forming a circle. This must be the enemy’s first line of defence; leopards were downright deadly when provoked – even worse when they were _hungry_. The tree next to Marco rustled a little and a second later, Haruta hopped down onto a branch, light-footed as ever.

“They have a whole army hiding out within different areas of the jungle,” they reported. “Definitely taking homeland advantage and the fact that they let the animals take most of the battle.”

“ _Yeah, no kidding!_ ” Rakuyo’s voice growled, followed by a dull roar. “ _Division 7 just ran into a literal bear trap!_ ”

Haruta winced. “Copy that ‘Kuyo,” they said, before catching Marco’s thoughtful gaze. The fencer tilted their head a little in question.

“You got them, yoi?” The phoenix then asked and Haruta’s lips curled into their trademark mischievous pixie grin. They patted their tunic and a light _plink!_ was heard. Marco exhaled. “Good. This better work.”

“It will.”

Multiple pairs of eyes focussed towards the edge of the tree line where Ace stood amongst the fern, backed by his own division. His unusually stern gaze never strayed from the ruins up ahead.

“The plan will work,” Ace said determinedly, before tearing his eyes away from their target to look up at Marco. “Did you see Quartz?”

“Yeah, she’s in the ruins with Rango, acting as his bodyguard of some sorts, yoi.” He furrowed his brows. “It might get a little tricky to reach Rango if she’s guarding him.” _We might have to fight her_ , was left unspoken, but everyone knew. A distraction would be the best way to get Rango alone without having Quartz interfering – their plan was simple, really; seeing Rango as the source, the control tower per se, they’d be able to inflict major damage in his operations by shutting down his ability. That should be enough to break the control he has over his army of animals and Quartz. The only thing left to do would be an old fashioned throw down with the leftover crew. Finding their base had been the first goal, but had been quickly resolved by Haruta’s clever memory after recalling how Quartz had mentioned the ruins. It was marked as a good starting point and Marco had decided to up the speed of the search by scouting ahead in his phoenix form.

“I’ll take care of Quartz,” Ace spoke up again and Thatch shot him a mildly worried glance.

“Are you sure?”

“My division, my responsibility.” He said in a tone that marked his decision as final and that he won’t argue further; it was either get on board, or get out of the way. Begonia looked at Marco, as if asking for confirmation. The phoenix only nodded.

“We’ll leave her in your hands, Ace.” And that was that – Marco knew that Ace would bring her back. The boy was stubborn for that. “Thatch, Haruta, you’re with me, yoi. Our target is Rango.”

“Yessir.”

“Gotcha.”

The transpondersnail in Haruta’s hand jumped again. “ _Division 16 moving forward, engaging a small battalion of tigers_.” Izo voiced and a gunshot went off. “ _I can see the ruins up ahead, Operation Cage seems to be a success_.”

“Good work, most of the army, minus the possible guards, should be busy now,” Haruta said and nodded at Marco, who spread his wings.

“Let’s move!” He called and with a jump, he was up in the air, moving towards the ruins. The rest followed, bursting out from the undergrowth with a never-ending echo of war cries. Haruta and Thatch kept in pace next to each other, trying to match Marco’s speed overhead of them, until Thatch piped up.

“You know,” he said between breaths, “they mentioned leopards, bears and tigers, but wasn’t there another animal specific squad?”

The fencer gave him a inquisitive look. “Uhm–“

“Please just tell me it’s not wolves.” From the ruins, distant howling was heard. “Oh, _bollocks_.”

Haruta snorted at the cook’s lament, but prepared to draw their saber. Up ahead of them, the humongous wolves from the previous battle appeared in a steady stream, some of them topped off with riders. With unmentioned synch, both sword fighters drew their weapons with practiced grace, quickly switching their hold to the dull side of the blade – after all, the _No Harming Animals_ rule still applied.

Marco was the first to land an attack; swooping down like an arrow, he spread his wings in a blaze to take out the riders, knocking them off of their wolves. The two forces clashed, swords were crossed, gunshots rang through the air and somewhere, he could vaguely hear Begonia bellow something almighty before tossing some poor chump back into the mass of bodies. The wolves howled and snarled, their overly salivating maws snapping at anything that moved. One even dared to try and nab Marco straight out of the air, when he once swooped down a little too low, only to jerk back up in chagrined surprise when the wolf lunged. Thankfully, its teeth harmlessly passed through the blue flames, although uncomfortably reminiscent of that one wolf who had tried to rip off his arm. With a swift kick, Marco incapacitated the canine and went on his way.

Up close, the ruins were a majestic sight. Truly, in it’s golden days it must’ve been a beautiful palace, yet even now after unknown centuries of decay, it held an air of ancient grace. Marco would’ve loved to explore it, but circumstances were calling for different measures right now. While he wasn’t one to bypass fights, he left his division to their own devices and Begonia’s command – he had a different mission at hand right now.

Gracefully, he landed upon the broken steps of the former palace, azure wings disappearing in a gentle plume of blue flames. Behind him, the battle raged on between the Rango Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates, a mess of human screams and animalistic snarls. Marco paid it no mind and ventured inside, where he was immediately hit with the itching feeling of being watched. Then, he heard the sound of a bow being drawn back. Stopping in his tracks, he looked to his left to see a man pointing his crossbow at him. The man gave him a sly grin before pulling the trigger – Marco didn’t even bother to step out of the way, not when the arrow was sliced in half midair by a pair of sabers.

“Now, now,” Thatch near singsonged, mischievous amusement twinkling in his eyes as he stood before Marco, twin sabers brandished. “Let’s not be hasty here, mate.”

The fired crossbow fell to the floor with a loud clatter as the man stared at Thatch with wide, terrified eyes. He gulped, shaking slightly at the feel of Haruta’s blade pressing into his throat. The fencer looked severely unimpressed, clicking their tongue in annoyance before simply knocking the guy out. The man went down like a bag of rocks and Haruta scrunched up their nose distastefully.

“As if a simple arrow would be enough to take _you_ out,” they muttered at Marco, who chuckled briefly. The itchy feeling had not disappeared in the slightest.

“Can’t blame them for trying, yoi,” he replied easily, continuing forward and now flanked by his siblings. Behind them, there was a brief outcry, the noise quickly overshadowed by the hiss of fire and the trio turned around at the sound of boots hitting the palace floor. Ace straightened himself back up, small smirk on his face as he threw a thumb over his shoulder to point at the wall of fire he had erected in front of the entrance.

“Thought you guys would like some privacy,” he said almost playfully.

“Eh, showoff,” Thatch teased and Haruta sniggered. The four of them advanced, their senses on alert as they passed the various ionic columns within the eerily empty ruins. That was until Marco spotted his target.

The mere appearance of Rango’s smug face was almost enough to make the phoenix’ blood boil with contempt. The captain sat on a crumbling throne, unattended, which was already suspicious enough. Marco’s hand found itself resting on the hilt of his katana strapped to his hip – it was his melee weapon of choice whenever he had to enter combat without the use of his powers. Next to him, he could hear Ace emit a low sound from his throat, no doubt itching to smite the man before them with his flames. Rango only grinned.

“Gentlemen–“ Haruta scoffed at that – “don’t you think it’s a bit rude to enter without knocking?”

“Where is Quartz,” Ace growled, completely ignoring the taunt. The smell of smoke flared up again and Thatch switched his hold on his swords once more – that Rango bastard sure as hell won’t be receiving the dull side of his blades.

“Oh, are we still playing that game?” The man asked in near disinterest, absentmindedly scratching at his small goatee. The smoky scent grew stronger, thick and intense like a forest fire as the temper within Ace rose. Flames crackled to life in his hands.

“ _Where is she_ ,” the 2nd commander repeated through clenched teeth and Marco’s hand slowly wandered to the base of his katana’s hilt, thumb pressing into the cross guard to reveal a small part of the sharpened blade.The itching feeling had now turned into a full-on burning sensation in the back of his neck – someone was watching them. The atmosphere had gone unbearably tense, unease only growing when Rango chuckled darkly.

“Why don’t you go find her?” He suggested slyly and there was a sudden minuscule shift in the air. The aura of pure killer instinct was potent enough, Marco didn’t even have to spread his observation haki as he jumped back.

“ _Above!_ ” he yelled and they all dispersed just in time as a white paw came rushing down, sharp claws digging into the stone below. The force was enough to send cracks racing through the ground. Purple hair billowed slightly and blood red eyes mimicked the look of a hunting apex-predator so well, for an unnerving moment Marco felt like he was the antelope to a lion. With her arm still attached to the ground, Quartz twisted her body around and the phoenix leaned back hastily in order to avoid the kick aimed at his face.

“ _Quartz!_ ” Haruta called in a mix of relief and worry. The girl removed her paw from the ground, claws brandished as she performed a whip like motion with her arms, Thatch had to lift his swords in order to block the attack. The claws hit metal, emitting orange sparks at the sheer strength. Quartz retreated, almost nothing but a blur as she landed on the side of a standing pillar, using it as a perch to propel herself forward – a cool breeze followed. Marco recognised the manoeuvre.

“Get ready!” Was the only warning he managed before Quartz twisted around on her own axis, air gathering before growing into a rapidly cooling mini-tornado.

“Oh, bloody hell!” Thatch yelped, quickly evading the wind drill as it ripped through the entire throne room. Haruta skidded to a halt next to Ace, their breath visible in the cool air.

“We really should’ve tested out her combat skills before,” they remarked almost drily and Ace only nodded wordlessly. The two had to separate a second later when uprooted debris was hurled into their general direction. Somewhere amongst the noise, Rango cackled. The ugly sound made Ace grit his teeth until his eyes grew wide. Marco had been backed against a pillar, the old thing already crumbling under Quartz’s rampage.

“Marco, behind you!” The 1st commander shot a quick look over his shoulder, cursing when he saw the first few rocks raining down on him. Activating his wings would guarantee him a quick get away from both the tumbling pillar and Quartz’s Blizzard Drill, but with Rango so close in his vicinity however, he’d rather not risk getting himself ‘tamed’. Instead, with practiced grace he evaded the falling debris, fully leaping away when the whole pillar came crashing down, sending up a cloud of dust. Marco swiftly turned on his heel, only to come face to face with Quartz, her Blizzard Drill dissolving into cold wisps of air around her. He barely had time to lean back when a massive paw caught him, claws raking themselves deeply across his chest. The hit was awarded with a grunt of pain as Marco winced.

“Sorry about this, yoi,” he wheezed shortly before twisting his body and whipping his shin into the girl’s abdomen, sending her flying across the room. Despite the flare of pain, blue flames already flickered over his damaged skin and he could distantly hear Haruta gasp in horror.

Quartz packed quite a punch as she skidded along the floor, yet still managed to get onto all fours and came to a slow halt when she dug her claws into the ground. She pulled her lips back, exposing sharp fangs and letting go of a bone-rattling snarl. A smudge of Marco’s blood decorated her left cheek, along with the few splatters across the front of her jacket. Behind her, a tail twitched around in a manner of agitation and Marco felt inclined to comment on it.

“ _Is that a tail?!_ ”

It seemed like Thatch was quicker on that regard, judging by his near hysterical high-pitched shriek. Marco couldn’t help the half-amused huff that escaped him. Until Rango decided to speak up.

“You useless brat!” He bellowed furiously at Quartz. “I want the Phoenix unharmed, do you understand!”

The girl didn’t say anything, but her ears had flattened themselves against her hair before twitching back up again. Ace narrowed his eyes at the exchange. However, when Quartz sprang back into action, he quickly changed back into a defensive stance, willing his body into fire.

“Haru, Thatch,” Marco called, appearing next to Ace. “You two go after Rango. Quartz can’t hurt either of us, so we’ll take her on, yoi.”

“Understood.” Haruta replied, easily vaulting over Quartz and whipping out their saber as they charged Rango, Thatch hot on their heels. The captain scowled.

“Go after _this_!” The man barked as he raised two fingers to his lips and blew a shrill whistling sound. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, two massive panthers appeared – one which Thatch recognised as the one Rango sat on during their first meeting. Both felines growled, backs hunched and claws out, clicking against the floor as they circled the two sword fighters. They looked even _worse_ than the other animals, ribs poking out, faces haggard, eyes alight with vicious hunger and foam dripping at the corner of their mouths.

“ _Son of a bitch_ ,” Haruta cursed, back to back with Thatch as they eyed the panthers with horror and pity. “What have you done to these poor creatures?”

Rango uttered a cruel laugh. “My pets always fight better when hungry. Nothing can beat the rabid instinct for survival.”

“You absolute _bastard_ ,” Thatch spat, before ducking out of the way when one panther lunged, pulling Haruta with him. When the second one advanced, the cook swiftly knocked it away with a well aimed kick to the chin, while Haruta parried the first with the blunt side of their blade.

Behind them, Marco and Ace tried to wrangle Quartz into exhaustion, which was easier said than done; the kid was fast and light-footed despite the bulky looking tiger paws serving as her arms. She lunged for Marco again, Ace reacting by snatching the trailing end of Quartz’s tail and yanking her back on instinct. She yowled and the commander immediately let go.

“Oh shit, I’m so– _oof!_ ” His moment of shock distracted him, allowing a pissed to all hell Quartz to dart her tail forward and wrap it around his ankle to yank it out from under him. It sent him sprawling on his back and he coughed at the rough landing. “Okay, I deserved that.”

Marco growled. This whole fight was going nowhere – he admittedly underestimated the girl’s stamina and their plan itself was getting continuously interrupted by Rango’s possessed animals. It was absolutely vital that either Thatch or Haruta would be able to reach Rango, or else their whole plan won’t work. He watched how Quartz tried to whittle down Ace, only for her attacks to phase through him in a cloud of flames.

“Ace, take care of Quartz!” He said before spreading his arms, gold and blue fire blooming into wings as he took the risk of partially transforming into his zoan form. Rango’s reaction was immediate at the sight of Marco taking to the air to assist the sword fighters with the rabid panthers; he grinned viciously and stood from his throne.

The phoenix would be _his_.

With a small battle cry, Marco stomped down onto the head of one panther, causing it to slam down to the ground right in front of Haruta. The fencer grinned at Marco, but it quickly fell at the sight of his wings.

“You transformed!” They cried out in worry and promptly hissed in pain, when an ear-ringing gunshot resounded as the bullet grazed the fencer’s cheek. Marco nearly saw red and he whirled around to face Rango, who reloaded his pistol with another bullet.

“ _How dare you_ ,” the phoenix snapped, wings blazing and not noticing how the downed panther behind him prepared for an attack. Luckily enough, Thatch batted it away with the blunt side of his twin saber and keeping his brother’s back free.

“Marco, calm down!” The cook berated him, concentrating on the two panthers in front of him and sending Haruta a quick side glance. “You okay there, Pixie?”

The fencer raised their blade and swiped the spilling blood away from their cheek with their sleeve. “Just fine,” they muttered, joining Thatch. The two sword fighters took on the animals, while Rango advanced on Marco. The blue wings slowly receded, but Rango was having none of that.

“Oh no, you won’t, Phoenix.” He threatened calmly, immediately aiming his newly loaded gun on Thatch, who was too busy fending off one of the monstrous panthers. Marco’s eyes widened and his wings flared back up as he stood between the gun and his brother. Rango smirked. “That’s right; you wouldn’t let anything happen to your precious family. Now, be a good bird and–”

His speech fell short when a fist slammed itself into his cheek, strength so brutal, the captain could feel a few teeth dislodging themselves from his mouth before the sheer force flung him back through a crumbling wall, out onto the grassy cliffside the ruins rested on. Marco watched him go, his eyes then returning to Ace, who looked beyond pissed. He was about to ask where Quartz was, until said girl sprinted past them, most likely following her distressed Master.

“Ace–” Marco started, but the younger marched past him.

“I’ll take care of them,” Ace all but growled, stepping through the gap in the wall and following Quartz out onto the grass. He could feel the wind and sea breeze on his skin, playing with his hair underneath his hat. The sky was tinted a soft orange, indicating that the sun was about to set. Dark eyes zeroed in onto the crumpled heap of Rango, who slowly sat up while groaning in pain. He had lost his gun, but Quartz had obediently stationed herself next to him. As the captain’s golden eyes fell onto the commander, he scrambled back franticly.

“S-Stay back!” Rango barked almost shrilly when Ace advanced mercilessly, rage clear in his eyes and the sheer intensity of his glare was enough to make the captain shiver. With a clumsy flail of his hand, he motioned to Quartz, who took an offensive stance. “I said; stay back!”

Ace snorted, flames roaring to life on his shoulders, travelling all the way down his arms. “Don’t think she’ll be enough to stop me.” He mirrored Quartz’s form, eyes hard. “I’ll fight her if I have to.”

Sweat started to bead on Rango’s contorted face, a nasty bruise already blooming on where Ace managed to land the solid punch. He gritted his teeth, but forced a grin of false bravado. “Attacking one of your own? A Whitebeard? My, my, Mr.Commander, that is unheard of.”

“She’ll understand,” Ace countered with a snarl, right fist glowing as if embers burned bright beneath his skin. “Quartz always understood the most, even if she didn’t show it!”

Rango clicked with his tongue. “Aren’t y’all an annoyingly loyal bunch, huh? But whatever,” He straightened himself up again, small smirk on his lips as an eerie calm seemed to overtake him. “I still have the upper hand here.”

The orange-simmering fist flared with a small burst of fire and embers. “No, you don’t,” Ace growled, unease settling in his stomach when he watched how Rango only raised an eyebrow, smirk growing.

“Oh?” The captain challenged before he eyed his bodyguard. “Cub, _walk over the edge_.”

Ice pooled within Ace’s chest, eyes widening in horror when Quartz calmly lost her fighting stance and spun on her heel. Unseeing eyes pinned on the far horizon, the girl walked towards the cliff, steps steadfast and never missing a beat, ready to do what was commanded.

“Quartz, no!” Her commander called helplessly from behind her – a plea that fell onto deaf ears. Her feet reached the edge and she attempted another step, her last one. Beneath her, waves crashed onto the cliffside, as if hungrily awaiting their meal. Just one more step – Ace couldn’t follow her there.

“ _DON’T!_ ”

“ _Halt!_ ”

At the new command, Quartz stilled once more, returning her foot to the ground. Ace nearly wanted to sag in relief. Instead, he bared his teeth, furious glare returning to Rango, who only grinned victoriously at him. His fire had diminished as soon as he had seen Quartz walking, his arm unconsciously reaching forward as if he could simply just pull her back.

“You _bastard,_ ” Ace hissed, the smell of smoke filling the air around him. “How dare you gamble with her life like that – quit being a coward and fight!”

“I only take advantage of my cards, Fire Fist,” Rango taunted. “No need to get riled up over a simple brat.”

“She’s a Whitebeard,” Ace argued and a disbelieving bark of laughter left his opponent’s mouth.

“She’s a _monster_ , boy!” Rango cackled and something squeezed uncomfortably within the commander’s chest. “You idiots should really perform more background checks on the freaks your captain keeps taking on board. Example A,” he gestured towards Quartz, who only stared ahead, unblinking. “Look at you, it’s obvious that you don’t know jackshit about this brat, about the _Tiger Cub_.”

“Her past means nothing to us,” Ace growled – he thought back to the night in Whitebeard’s chamber, the confession of whose blood ran through his veins and the resulting words of the man. _We’re all children of the sea_. “We took her in because no one else wanted her.”

Rango’s eyes flashed. “For good reason!”

“We don’t _care_ ,” A sincere statement, ringing out amongst the crackle of newly ignited fire. “She carries our father’s mark on her back, just like me. Quartz is one of us now. We accept her.”

Ace had seen the brief flash of longing in her eyes, the small spark of hope that she carried so close to her heart. A heart so hurt by the world, it was slow to open up for new people – Ace knew by first hand experience. It was daunting, it was irritating after having lived so long with your heart locked away, only to have it light up with the potential and hope to finally, _finally_ reach for real love, but most of all; it was _scary_. Because it could hurt again, because people could leave again. And Ace realised, that sometimes when he looked at Quartz, it was like looking into a mirror.

 _We care for her_.

He saw his younger self, hurt and angry at the world. The world who scorned him despite never actually knowing him. It had hurt, it had hurt so much sometimes he couldn’t stand it, but the anger was good at masking it. Whenever he had to choose between sadness and anger, he always chose anger. Because anger made you strong, because it gave you bite, because the red hot feeling of dark smoke in your chest and the taste of copper on your tongue was a lot better than carrying a heavy heart and shedding bitter tears. Angry children always did two things; either they hurt themselves, or they hurt others.

Quartz decided to hurt others to have something to focus on, to immerse herself into her rage of everything, just to be able to forget her world for a few seconds. It was selfish and damaging and a language Ace knew too well – the language of a sad lonely child, scorned by the world that didn’t give them a chance.

 _We love her_.

“You may know her past, but you don’t know her now,” Ace continued, flames flickering. He will keep that courage in Quartz alive, the courage to learn how to trust, how to love. To learn a language much softer, much kinder. The courage to know, that no matter how scarred and chipped her heart may be, it will always be a heart worth giving. “ _I won’t let you ruin this for her_.”

Fire raced down his arms, orange glow colouring his unflinching eyes into a pair of shimmering suns. Ace charged, a sudden move that had Rango jumping in surprise. With a yelp, he alerted Quartz, who immediately whirled around to search for her Master. Seeing the impending attack, a snarl left her lips and she made a mad dash towards her commander. Said commander merely held his hand out, flames flickering into a bright burst in front of Rango, who brought his arms up to cover his face, briefly feeling the heat lick dangerously close – had he missed? He lowered his arms to spot a ring of fire surrounding but not harming him. Then, a blur of orange and black raced past him.

With dawning horror, Rango watched how Ace charged right at Quartz, never faltering in his steps, before simply catching the girl in his arms, trapping her massive paws against her sides and letting the momentum do the rest of its work. At their crash, they were sent flying and Ace hugged Quartz tight.

“Sorry I lied,” he murmured into her hair as he saw them passing the edge of the cliff, gravity doing quick work in pulling them towards the lapping waters below. “I can’t fight you. Not like this.”

Ace could vaguely hear Rango bellow in disbelieving rage over the rush of the wind and Quartz’s wild snarls. The smell of salt reached his nose and the waves came steadily closer. But it’s alright.

“We’re gonna be okay, Quartz. They will come and get us, I trust them.”

 _And maybe, you can trust them too_.

Before they hit the water, Ace used his last second of precious strength to twist the two of them around – his back now facing the endless blue first. They plunged into the water, his entire back stinging until the waves swallowed them whole without mercy.

 _They’ll come for us_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious about little tidbits of Quartz? About her and the crew?
> 
> Why not ask Quartz herself! Find her and her usual shenanigans on Quartz' ask Blog!  
> <https://ask-the-tiger-cub.tumblr.com>
> 
> Don't worry, she won't bite. Much.


	8. The Girl and the Beast (but they were the same) Part III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our tale ends in what makes a monster and what makes a man. But has it been truly worth it? The hurt, the pain and a growing distrust – how can it be gained back?
> 
> Quartz doesn't know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salutations!
> 
> GUYS I HAVE SO MUCH TO TELL HOLY AKSGDKJFB-- first of all; THANK YOU all so much for your continuing support for this story, AH!! I hope you guys will enjoy this new chapter!!  
> I've been all over the place this week, because, get this, I FINALLY GOT MYSELF A JOB!! AFTER ALL THE LONG SREAHC AND REJECTIONS, I FINALLY LANDED MYSELF SOMEWHERE GOOD!! Guys, I'm so excited, I took all the energy into finishing this chapter – GOD, it sure was a piece of work. I shouldn't be up so late anymore, HHH, considering that I now need a more consistent sleep schedule because JOB, but I didn't want to be late again!  
> HOWEVER, we finally reached the end of the First Major Plotpoint (can you consider it as that or?), so we will continue ahead with a bit more lighthearted shenanigans because let's be real, I have been emotionally compromised during the The Girl And The Beast. So do enjoy this chapter, and as usual, let me know what you think!
> 
> Thank you all so much for your kind words, I wish you all a wonderful day and take care!  
> – Crow
> 
> POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS  
> – Drowning  
> – Minor Character Death Implied

* * *

 

The Flame Flame Fruit had been a _disgusting_ thing to eat, Ace remembered. Tasting of rotten eggs and smelling even worse – he had positively gagged at the first bite. He had eaten a lot of rather unconventional foods back at Mt. Colubo, but that devil fruit truly had taken the cake. Yet, despite the horrid taste, Ace had felt a warmth blooming within his chest. Gently pulsating and warming him from the inside out, as if the sun had lost a drop and Ace had somehow swallowed it. The sensation never ceased, only grew with his emotions and temper, flaring and simmering whenever he felt like it.

It was nice, the feeling of this eternal flame burning softly inside of him. Wherever he went, the warmth persisted, spreading to his very fingertips and toes, filling him with an undeniable flicker of fire. Sometimes, he liked to imagine he was carrying a small sun alongside his heart. Small, but no less powerful.

So, it was no surprise that Ace tended to forget what it felt like to be _cold_.

The seawater drained him instantly and there was this unbearable rush of _cold_ , _cold_ , _freezing cold_ , Ace wanted to curl up to preserve what little warmth he had left. He didn’t. Not when he had his arms stubbornly locked around Quartz, who had gone as slack as him when the waves had swallowed them. He could feel his back throb, but he ignored the pain, ignored the cold and ignored the stinging saltwater in his eyes as he observed the girl in his arms.

_Please work_.

And it did – devil fruits were bound to be cursed by Mother Sea, their powers instantly nullified the moment they touched the vast ocean. Quartz’s tiger features vanished, massive _deadly_ tiger paws shrinking back into her scrawny arms, now floating worryingly still within the dark waters. Through the draining haze, Ace watched in tired cheer how those ruby eyes gained back their rich onyx colour. There was little light from the surface that hit them, and before they completely sunk out of reach, the last few rays caught Quartz’s eyes, slowly closing shut as lone bubbles escaped her lips.

_Dark brown with golden flecks,_ Ace noted absentmindedly, head droning with the increasing pressure. He thought to have seen a shadow approaching them, but he wasn’t sure. In fact, as the blackness took over, he stopped thinking altogether.

 

* * *

 

“ _ACE!_ ”

Thatch’s scream was nearly drowned out by the flickering plume of blue fire Marco had instigated in order to drive the panthers away. He didn’t wait for the other two as he sprinted forward, transponder snail in hand.

“Namur!” He yelled so fiercely, the small creature in his hand jumped. “I need you in the water, ruin cliffside, it’s Ace and Quartz!”

“ _I’ll meet you there,_ ” came the gruff reply and Thatch didn’t bother to answer. He ran towards the spot where he had seen Ace tip over the edge with Quartz in his arms, vanishing from sight as the two of them dropped towards the ocean.

“I really hope you have a bloody good explanation for the stunt you just pulled,” the cook muttered under his breath, heart going a mile a minute in absolute worry at the two youngest who are unable to fucking _float_ , let alone _swim_. He passed a still raging Rango, who seemed unable to bypass the ring of fire he was trapped in. _Good, burn to death for all I care_ , Thatch thought, ignoring the man as he tossed his twin sabers into the grass, together with his transponder snail ( _albeit gently_ ) and raced towards the edge. Not bothering to register the height, Thatch kicked off and took a dive, straight into the blue – _I got ya’ buddy_.

And just like the previous two, he disappeared from Rango’s sight, who gritted his teeth. Sweat poured from his face, and it wasn’t just because of the flames. He couldn’t feel the connection anymore, the small thread of control he had over the Tiger Cub. After all, his ability was a devil fruit power too and stood no chance against the curse of Mother Sea – his one trump card against the Whitebeards, _gone_. All thanks to that young commander, who must’ve figured out that Rango’s power can’t reach within the water.

“Damn you, Fire Fist!” The captain cursed over the raging fire, when a shadow fell over him. He barely had time to crane his neck, when razor-sharp talons dug themselves into his shoulders, eliciting a howl of pain, before they tugged him up into the air out of the ring of fire. Rango was tossed back onto the ground roughly, skidding a few feet before those deadly talons were back on him, pinning his arms down. With panic coursing through his veins, Rango finally got to see his assailant and almost paled immediately.

With brilliant blue wings flaring, Marco loomed threateningly over the captain with a gaze that promised instant death if Rango so much as _breathed_ the wrong way. The phoenix’ eyes narrowed.

“ _Got you_.” He hissed through clenched teeth, face eerily illuminated by his blue flames as he stared his foe down. Despite his fear, Rango grinned almost manically.

“You’re taking quite the risk, Phoenix,” he said, staring Marco square in the eye. A familiar red ring lit up within his golden irises, reflecting back in the phoenix’ own eyes. “ _You’re mine now_.”

“Actually,” Marco remarked casually, a sly grin on his lips and the flames made his teeth glint dangerously. “The risk was calculated, yoi.”

Before Rango could decipher the meaning of his cryptic words, there was a resounding _click!_ noise as something cool encircled his wrist. Then, within seconds, all the strength drained from his body, red rings diminishing from his eyes and Rango went slack.

“Wh– What the hell…?” The captain slurred and a second shadow loomed over him. It was the fencer with the youthful face, now decorated with a bright and mischievous grin as they crouched next to him. They sniggered, holding up a heavy looking cuff by their finger.

“Seastone handcuffs,” they explained cheerfully, twirling the bracelet as the chain connected to it rattled noisily at the movement. “Always _handy_ to have, if you get what I mean.”

“That was terrible, yoi.”

“No. I’m funny as shit, you overgrown flaming turkey.”

Rango’s head was swimming. “No…my army…my Battalion of Beasts…” he whimpered almost pitifully. With the seastone cuffs nullifying his powers, that meant it also severed all his control over the animals. As if on cue, Haruta’s small transponder snail rang. With nimble fingers, the fencer picked up.

“Yo,”

“ _This is Izo – I’m guessing Marco’s plan worked?_ ”

“How’s it looking at your end?”

The two commanders could practically hear Izo’s grin. “ _The animals stopped fighting. They’re all heading back into the jungle, most likely searching for food that won’t shoot them._ ”

“Then yeah,” Haruta grinned, “Marco’s plan worked.”

 

( _“So, what’s the plan?”_

_“Get rid of Rango.”_

_Ace cocked an eyebrow. “That’s it?”_

_“Think about it; as far as we know, Rango’s powers allow him to seize total control of animals to do his bidding.” Thatch said, recounting their experiences. “If we manage to knock him out or similar, his powers will most likely shut down and he won’t be able to control the animals anymore from the get go, which in turn leaves him defenceless.”_

_Marco furrowed his brows in deep thought. “The thing is, we don’t know much about that guy’s power. For all we know, he might still be able to hold some semblance of command even when unconscious. We need a failsafe strategy.”_

_“I can toss him into the ocean,” Begonia grumbled._

_“No,” Marco said, voice definite despite the sly grin on his face. “But you just gave me an idea.”_

_He turned towards Haruta, missing how Begonia and Ace shared a look, the Kuja shrugging cluelessly at the younger’s curious head tilt. The phoenix regarded the fencer with a slightly mischievous look, a gesture that filled the other with immediate excitement. This was going to be good._

_“We still have a spare pair of seastone cuffs around, yeah?”_ )

 

Despite the two of them being atop of the highest cliff away from the vast forest, both could hear the thunderous cheer erupting from within the green. Treetops shook and nearly hundred birds left their perches in a flurry of wind-chime songs and colourful feathers. It was as if the whole jungle was celebrating its liberation of Rango’s cruel reign.

Marco however, didn’t feel like celebrating all that much. Not when he knew that his two youngest siblings were sinking to the bottom of the sea right now. The thought made him grit his teeth, fury building up inside of him and his talons tightened around Rango’s shoulders. The man only groaned at the pain.

“This is all your _fault_ ,” he muttered lowly at the captain, leaning down slightly as the blue flames of his wings painted terrifying shadows onto his face. “If _anything_ happens to them, I will _personally_ rip your heart out with my bare hand.”

The threat pretty much did its work, considering how horrified Rango looked. Haruta however, seemed as calm as ever, but regarded their older brother with a meaningful look.

“They will be fine, Marco. Thatch and Namur are with them.” They placated the normally passive, but ultimately destructive temper of the 1st commander. Dark brown eyes snapped up to stare at them and Haruta didn’t even bat an eye at the intensity. Instead, they levelled their blue eyes right back at Marco, calm, yet the phoenix could see the underlying steel, the promise of reigning him in with force if necessary.

His fight with Rango was done – the rest was up to Whitebeard.

Sharp talons loosened, stepping off of the wounded shoulders. “Right,” Marco said quietly, wings receding. “I’m done.”

Haruta only nodded. Then, the familiar sound of an earthly rumble shook beneath them. There was the groan of trees falling to the ground and more birds dispersing from their perches and when Marco turned around, there were deers skittishly fleeing from the scene. Haruta grinned, all pixie mischievousness as they sneered down at an increasingly panicking Rango.

“Y’know, I’d say that I actually feel kinda sorry for you,” the fencer quipped nonchalantly, still playing with the one cuff on their finger. “But then I’d be lying; once Pops is done, I hope that there is _nothing_ left of you.”

Marco smirked to himself at his sibling’s words – Haruta’s tongue was just as quick and sharp as their sword, it always came to an ugly surprise to their enemies since they liked to underestimate the fencer by their youthful appearance. There was another rumble and Marco straighten himself up, just as Whitebeard emerged from the jungle, mighty bisento in hand as he marched towards his two commanders.

Haruta perked up, sneer falling into a cheerful grin as they hopped onto the balls of their feet playfully, waving at their father. “Hiya Pops! Glad you made it!” They greeted, to which Whitebeard smiled at them. His amber eyes fell onto Rango and his smile immediately thinned out into a cold frown as he surveyed the shaking form of their enemy.

“We have a bit of a situation regarding Ace and Quartz,” Marco informed his captain dutifully. “I was about to check on them.”

Whitebeard nodded, motioning with his chin at Haruta. “Take them with you. And Haruta, be so kind and take those awful cuffs off. We don’t want to waste them.”

There was a clear indication in his words and the fencer wasted no time in taking the cuffs off of Rango. At the man’s irritated look, Haruta only grinned eerily.

“All set, Pops! We’re off then,” they said, jumping back up and joining Marco’s side. The phoenix nodded, sending one last look at his father, before turning on his heel. Rango belonged to Whitebeard now, and that was just right with Marco.

 

* * *

 

( _“So, you are the cowardly bastard who decided to take one of my own.”_

_“D-Do you even know anything about that brat?! Surely you do, she’s no good, Whitebeard. The Tiger Cub ain't human.”_

_“Indeed. That brat…is my daughter.”_ )

 

* * *

 

The water was cool against Thatch’s skin as he dived beneath the waves, ignoring how the salt stung in his eyes. He fought through the endless blue, searching franticly until he finally spotted the sinking shadows just below him.

_Shit_.

Both Ace and Quartz were sinking _fast_ , heavy from the fact that they were completely immobile within the salty waters. Thatch surged forward, diving after them, feeling the pressure building, but he paid it no mind. When he was close enough, he hooked his hands under Ace’s arms, still firmly locked around the girl, and began his way back up. However, he was struggling. _Severely_.

Two immobile devil fruit users underwater were _heavy_ , not to mention the oxygen clearly started depleting and Thatch’s lungs began to burn under the strain. He gritted his teeth through the pain, the urge to just reach for the surface and get some air – _he won’t leave them_.

And he didn’t have to; because cutting through the water like a bullet, was Namur, speeding towards the trio and catching the arm Thatch had thrown out for him. With a secure hold on the cook’s arm, Namur shot up towards the surface and hauled the other three along with him. Thatch finally shut his eyes against the rush of salt water, holding Ace tightly against his chest.

When they broke the surface, the first thing the cook did was gasp for the long-awaited air, revelling in the way how the oxygen rushed in and cleared his head. He didn’t bask within the comfort for long and instead, he shifted Ace higher. Namur didn’t need words as he swam closer, gently prying Quartz out of the octopus-hold. He chuckled slightly.

“C’mon, Ace, we can’t help her much if you keep clinging to her like that,” he murmured, aware that he won’t receive an answer. With a bit of struggling, the two commanders finally were able to separate the two youngest. “Do you want me to take Ace?”

Thatch huffed, wiping some of his long brown hair out of his face – his pompadour had completely loosened during the dive. “I’ll be fine, just make sure Quartz is okay.”

The fishman nodded, carefully cradling the girl close, before transferring her securely onto his back. His brother had already started paddling his way towards the shore – a small beach, not too far off from the cliff. Naturally, Namur was the first to arrive, immediately climbing out of the water and further into the beach to safely drop Quartz off. That was until he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.

“ _Namur_!” He looked up, meeting Haruta’s relieved gaze as they waved at him, yelling over their shoulder. “Marco, they’re over here!”

Not a minute later, a partially transformed Marco sailed overhead, his talons carefully encircling the fencer’s biceps as they made their way down to the secluded beach, floating through the air until they were close enough for Haruta to safely jump out of the phoenix’ hold. The fencer immediately ran towards the water, chucking their sword into the sand as they waded into the blue.

“Thatch!” They called, reaching the cook and helping him with Ace. “Go check on Quartz, you’re better with those things.”

“Oh, don’t I know it,” Thatch joked half-heartedly, leaving Ace in Haruta’s safe hands as he hurried ashore, passing Namur, who had left Quartz with Marco in favour of helping the others. The phoenix was already busy with checking over the kid, mentally jotting down all the external injuries he could spot, just as Thatch fell to his knees next to Quartz. Gently, the cook lifted her head into his lap, brushing her bandanna off in order to see her entire face. “Anything serious, Marco?”

“Nothing externally. So far she’s breathing, albeit faintly, and her heart’s calming down from the adrenaline rush.” The 2nd commander exhaled and Thatch noted how stressed the other looked. “She’ll be fine for now, but she needs to get into the med-bay now–”

A loud retching sound interrupted him, as did Haruta’s and Namur’s worried calls of “ _Ace!_ ” and both Marco and Thatch swivelled around. Not far from them, Ace had seemingly woken up, immediately falling on all fours as he heaved up the seawater that had managed to find its way into his body. The two who had fished him out hovered next to him, Haruta rubbing his back soothingly. Thatch caught Marco’s gaze.

“Go,” he said, “Quartz will be okay.”

“What about you, yoi?” The phoenix questioned – he wasn’t blind, he could see the exhaustion settling in his brother’s limbs. The cook flashed him a small grin.

“I’ll survive, birdbrain, now go make sure Ace doesn’t keel over.” He watched how Marco gave him one last dubious look, before taking off to care for a shaking Ace, who had started coughing. Thatch turned his attention back onto his lap, where Quartz’s head rested. Softly, he brushed away the few purple strands clinging to her face – she looked unnaturally pallid. There were scratches on her cheek and a hand-shaped bruise started to bloom around her neck, it made Thatch’s blood boil. Quartz wasn’t supposed to look like this, all pale, eyes shut and body still – she was one to inspect everyone and anything with those dark eyes of hers, face carefully blank until someone poked fun and made her scowl and bicker. With two fingers, he checked her pulse again.

_Steady. Calm. Alive_.

There was a rumble, deep and terrifying if Thatch hadn’t recognised the power. His head immediately snapped towards the cliff, but from his angle, he couldn’t see much besides the cliff itself. However, he could see the spidery web of cracks racing through the air and he grinned to himself.

_Show ‘em, Pops._

_Show ‘em what happens when they mess with us_.

A sound akin to thunder, a force so strong it made the sand beneath Thatch vibrate – a clear indication of his father’s anger. There was another loud crack and pieces of the cliff descended into the ocean. Amongst the debris, a small figure joined them in a watery grave. Satisfaction bloomed in the cook’s chest and he let his gaze fall back onto Quartz, using his fingers to gently comb through her wet hair.

“It’s over.” He murmured quietly, sensing how the others joined him once more. “Let’s go home, hm?”

 

* * *

 

Quartz woke in a manner that seemed absolutely typical of her; blunt and discreet, her round eyes opening in a way as if she had been merely blinking. There was no yawn, no blinking the sleep out of her eyes, just up and open. Her nose twitched, traces of moss and forest and gunpowder faint, chased away by the scent of antiseptic and fresh linen.

The med-bay then.

Her breath didn’t hitch, opting to instead keep the steady rhythm, slow and relaxed just like she had been sleeping. Amongst the unmistakable smell of hospital, mingled the scent of the sea breeze and old wood and mild burn of sake. Her ears picked up the quiet sound of a steady breath, that wasn’t hers, and as she listened closely, through the faint buzz of the lights and playful waves outside, there was the calm _ba-bump_ of another heartbeat. On top of that, she could feel eyes on her.

Quartz didn’t know what to say.

“Brat,” Whitebeard beat her to it and she didn’t flinch – under the blanket however, her hand curled into a fist. “How are you feeling?”

There was a pause. Then, slowly but deliberately, Quartz sat up in her bed, moving just enough to map out the injuries she had received. Which was a little difficult, considering that her Everything hurt. She could feel the few bandages on her arms and legs, the big bandaid taped to her left cheek and the reasonably tight bandages around her bruised ribs. Her chest hurt, which made breathing a little uncomfortable, and her head throbbed as if someone had taken a sledgehammer to her temple. Despite that, she shifted her gaze up towards Whitebeard, who sat near the end of her bed, almost comically big within the close quarters. Hair brushed softly against her forehead and she noted that they had taken her bandanna. Quartz didn't utter a word, yet the captain grinned nonetheless.

“Still got a fight left in you,” Whitebeard chuckled as if approving. “The rest will be thrilled to know that you’re doing fine.”

Quartz ignored him. “How many did I hurt,” she asked instead, face stony. The man regarded her with a calm look, taking in the underlying tension building up in those small shoulders of hers.

“None,” he finally answered. “Then again, it’s difficult to go up against one of my commanders, let alone two at the same time. Do you have any recollection?”

The girl chewed on her bottom lip, clearly hesitant. “A little…” she finally answered, dark eyes evading Whitebeard’s thoughtful gaze. “It’s all…hazy, like I was there but at the same time…I wasn’t.” Quartz admitted in a quiet voice, face scrunching up slightly in frustration. The captain hummed.

“So it feels like a dream,” he concluded. They had a few of those cases, usually from head injuries wherein his children often woke up with a hazy recollection on what happened to them. The strain from being under Rango’s control must’ve had similar effects on Quartz’s mind – after all, it had been taken with an unforgiving force.

Quartz scoffed. “Some fucked up dream that is…” she muttered bitterly under her breath. Lips pressed into a thin line, she picked at a loose thread in her blanket and glared into her lap, obviously frustrated at the whole experience. Whitebeard couldn’t fault her for that – to have your autonomy ripped away from you like that, it was bound to leave an ugly mix of frustration and anger behind. The man exhaled deeply, setting his tankard of sake down onto a table, leaning forward slightly as he rested his elbows on his knees.

“I actually have something else to discuss with you, my dear,” he said, voice calm and face serious when Quartz glanced up. Her brows furrowed at that and Whitebeard reached into his jacket to retrieve a folded paper from his inner pocket. “That Rango…Marco had mentioned to me that the coward had recognised you.”

As predicted, the teenager immediately froze – nothing but a small twitch as her shoulders tensed up. Her face however, remained carefully blank. A practiced motion, Whitebeard had no doubt about it.

“I never met him,” Quartz told him calmly. It was almost impressive how her entire demeanour melted from her usual moody self into this act of an innocent civilian. A split-second change, apprehensive eyes glazing over with a sort of resigned emptiness. But the captain could see her body going taut, like an arrow notched into its bow, ready to shoot off – it was a subtle change in attitude and if Whitebeard hadn’t spent his years on the sea meeting and learning how to read all kinds of people, he was sure he would’ve missed the small notions. One thought he had mused over a while ago surfaced again; Quartz was a good liar.

“I believe you on that,” Whitebeard said, unfolding the paper in his hand carefully. For a moment, he let his eyes roam the writing once more as he did so many times before in those few weeks. Then, he turned the paper. “He most likely recognised you from this.”

Her reaction was enough confirmation for the man to know that he was right; Quartz went _pale_. Onyx eyes widening, nose curling and mouth falling open slightly, just enough to get a glimpse of her fangs. Her hands, which had been resting in her lap, gripped and twisted the blanket so hard her knuckles turned white and even her purple hair seemed to bristle.

Everything inside of her went cold, numb, _suffocating_ , as if someone had tossed her back into the ocean and left her to drown. Now, she wished they did, oh so desperately, as she stared back into the face of her younger self, printed onto the wanted poster in Whitebeard’s hands. Quartz’s jaw set and her entire form trembled slightly under the strain of tension.

“ _Where did you get that_ ,” she pressed through clenched teeth.

A nightmare, it had to be, this was all one giant nightmare. There was _no way_ that Whitebeard could’ve gotten his hands onto– she had been _careful_ , for god’s sake, she had pilfered through every single newspaper that had been delivered to the ship. Just to make sure that her– her _wanted poster_ wasn’t found under any circumstances, that her face wasn’t recognised, that her _name_ – her fucking _name_. The thought of it was enough to make her break out in cold sweat, chest shrieking in protest when her breath started to get shallow.

This was not happening.

She had been _careful_.

_She had rules_.

A shaking hand found its way to her face, pressing against her forehead, but why was the hand shaking so much? Belatedly, she noticed it was her own hand, but remained too busy to get her breathing under control again. Panic festered within her – shit, _fuck_ , this was _bad_. Amongst the roaring static buzzing in her ears, she could hear Whitebeard shift.

“ _Bexley_ –”

And like someone pulled a trigger, Quartz shot out of bed, the whole thing creaking at the force as the blanket gently fluttered to the floor. Her injuries protested, everything throbbed and hurt and she didn’t care, not when the panic in her turned into a never ending fiery inferno pit of absolute rage.

“ _Don’t–_ ” Her clenched fists trembled at her sides, growing claws biting into her skin and wetness dripped between her fingers. Black stripes crawled onto her cheeks, fangs growing and round eyes narrowing into mere vertical lines. “ _Oriel Bexley_ is dead. She died the moment they printed her face onto those damn papers!”

Whitebeard regarded her silently. “And what only remains, is you – the _Tiger Cub_.”

“I never–!” Quartz had to choke back a scream of unbridled anger, it banged its fist against her sternum, screeching to be let out. “I never chose that name. _They_ gave it to me, when I was forced to leave my–”

With an audible _click!_ she shut her mouth. The old man’s eyes narrowed.

“Speak.” He demanded – and for a short moment, Quartz noted that this was the first time she received a direct order from the captain. _Her_ captain. Who was now actively frowning at her. “You will need to tell your story, especially when your family could be involved in it.”

Quartz snarled at him. “I told you, Old Man, I _don’t_ have a _family_!”

“ _Everyone residing on this ship is family_ ,” Whitebeard thundered, face stern as he straightened himself up in his seat. His change in demeanour startled the girl into an irritated silence and she glowered at him as he continued. “This ship, _my_ ship, is a family. And as the captain, I am to be informed of any _potential harm_ that could befall to what I consider is mine.”

“Oh, so you’re pulling rank on me?” Quartz growled, unwillingly feeling scolded. Which was absolute bullshit, in her opinion.

“I’ve been patient. I am aware that everyone has their secrets, but this–” He waved the poster around – “I have known for weeks now. I’ve known the moment you first transformed – I recognised you as Oriel Bexley, the Tiger Cub of Coal Island.” His eyes softened considerably when he watched Quartz’s gloomy face grow disbelieving at his words. “You are young, too young to bear a heavy burden such as your past. You are not alone to carry such weight. Not anymore.”

A heavy silence entered and Quartz continued to stare at Whitebeard. Her face, previously contorted in anger, had fallen into a rather stricken look with her big round eyes appearing vaguely glassy. Her lower lip trembled ever so slightly.

“I’m…not a good person,” she choked out, as if it was enough of a statement to deter the man before her.

 

( _And yet you try so hard to better yourself – following Marco, following Ace, measuring your own footsteps next to the ones all around you, wondering if you’re doing enough, if you’re worthy, if you would ever grow into those big steps before you. You don’t want to be left behind._ )

 

Whitebeard only grinned roguishly.

“Neither am I,” he declared. “We’re _Pirates_.”

Quartz said nothing and instead let her gaze wander to the picture of herself on the wanted poster. Her stare turned dark, eyes going stormy. However, she unclenched her shaking fists, brows still knitted together as she let her eyes fall shut in a sign of resignation, _acceptance_. Exhaustion pulled at her limbs and mind, she was tired, tired of everything. There was a short exhale.

“Whatever I’m about to tell you,” she began quietly, eyes still shut. “It will never, _ever_ leave this room.”

She opened her eyes, when she sensed the man moving again. He held a massive hand out towards her, face solemn. “You have my word, my dearest.”

Dark irises eyed his open palm almost apprehensively. Yet, she stepped towards it and hesitantly placed her own, much smaller hand into it. She wasn’t all too surprised when Whitebeard took the chance to scoop her up and gently place her onto his knee. There was a tingle of nervousness making itself known in the back of Quartz’s head – but she was too tired. Carefully, she folded her legs beneath her.

“I don’t like promises,” she mumbled absentmindedly.

Whitebeard only handed her the poster. “Then tell me; why is that?”

In her hand, the paper quivered a little within her still trembling fingers. Quartz took another good look at her picture; it had been taken from a time, that was much different from the one now. There was an uncomfortable sting within her heart – she recognised that picture. When it was taken. Where it was taken. Who had taken it. It was one of the few pictures where she hadn’t been _smiling_. One of the rare ones.

Edward Newgate watched how a haunted look of pure melancholy appeared within the eyes of his youngest. Then, Quartz opened her mouth.

“ _I was ten…_ ”

 

* * *

 

It was early dawn when Marco ventured back on deck; he hand’t slept very well, at the end he just decided to forgo sleep all together and worked on some paperwork instead, before leaving his chamber. Since they were still docked, the morning crew wasn’t required as early as usual. Marco stepped out onto a very quiet deck, listening to the sound of the waves and the waking seagulls.

Everything was peaceful, even the island exuded a sense of tranquility. So, it struck him as pretty unusual when he spotted Pops already sitting in his chair, looking out onto the water with a grim expression on his face. That surely wasn’t a good sign.

“Good Morning, Pops,” Marco greeted him politely as he descended the stairs, attempting a small smile. Whitebeard blinked a little, before turning his head towards his first son as if he hadn’t expected anyone to be up yet. However, at the sight of Marco’s small smile, his amber eyes softened considerably.

“Morning, my son, have you rested well?” He observed how the phoenix rubbed his neck with a heavy sigh.

“Not really, if we’re being honest, yoi.” Marco muttered, decidedly quiet over the fact that the whole Rango fiasco still left a bitter taste in his mouth, mind buzzing with the defeat and the victory. With the image of Quartz being held up by her neck, Quartz with those empty red eyes, Quartz slamming onto the floor by his own kick, Quartz rushing towards Ace– Ace and Quartz vanishing beneath the edge of the cliff into the ocean below.

Ace heaving up salt water onto the sand, coughing and shaking.

Quartz lying unnervingly still in Thatch’s lap, unnaturally pale with her chest moving ever so slightly at every shallow breath.

Marco brought a hand up to tiredly rub at his forehead, trying to will away the memories. He could feel Pops’ eyes on him. “Is she…is Quartz awake yet?” He then asked as if to change the subject. Whitebeard regarded him with a long look before answering.

“Yes,” the man conceded and the 1st commander heard the slight undertone within his voice. However, he gave no indication of hearing any change. “She should be awake. I’m sure she would appreciate a visit from you, Marco.”

The commander chuckled a little. “Really now…”

“Indeed,” Whitebeard grinned slightly. “You doubt your value to her, my son. Weren’t you supposed to be one of the more perceptive ones?”

“Uh–” Marco said unhelpfully, both stunned and mildly embarrassed at the mischievous teasing. His father only snickered.

“Just go see her, company would do her good.” The captain waved him off, mischievous grin still in place and Marco complied, shaking his head slightly in amusement. Bidding his father farewell, he made his way towards the med-bay, feeling eyes on his back. He doesn’t turn around, missing how Whitebeard watched him go, grin vanishing as his previous grim expression appeared once more.

 

 

Marco located the med-bay with ease, gently entering and his eyes immediately searched for Quartz’s medical file. He hadn’t been able to be present when the nurses took Quartz under their care, or when Ace had left the med-bay later to crash in his room. Marco and Paya had been busy fixing up the few injured crew members, who had unfortunate encounters with the previously rabid animals. When he spotted the clipboard, he made an immediate grab for it and put on his reading glasses, eyes quickly flitting over the notes and graphs as he made his way past the beds. He also made a mental note to check up on Ace later.

“Marco?”

At the croaky voice, the commander perked up, only to find Quartz sitting at the edge of her bed, the only one which faced the nearby window. Warm sunlight filtered through the porthole, highlighting the exhaustion etched into the kid’s face. There was a faint redness in the whites of her eyes – Marco thought back to the grim expression on Whitebeard’s face. He decided not to comment on it. Instead, he gave her a small smile.

“Hey kid. How are you feeling, yoi?”

Quartz averted her eyes towards the porthole again, shrugging. “Hell of a lot better than before, I guess.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Marco said, reaching her bed and carefully sitting down next to her. While fatigue was evident in her eyes, there was a hint of melancholy attached to it, colouring her onyx eyes into dark and dull murky pools. It was clear that something had occurred before Marco had entered. “…anything on your mind?”

There was a short silence, and Quartz turned to look at the commander next to her. Big round eyes cleared, appearing earnest and almost innocent. “No. I’m just hungry.”

_I don’t want to talk about it_.

“Okay,” Marco nodded, ignoring the heavy feeling in his chest. “How does bacon sound?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious about little tidbits of Quartz? About her and the crew?
> 
> Why not ask Quartz herself! Find her and her usual shenanigans on Quartz' ask Blog!  
> <https://ask-the-tiger-cub.tumblr.com>
> 
> Don't worry, she won't bite. Much.
> 
> [For All Things One Piece; come yell at me.](https://luscaina.tumblr.com)


	9. stripes and fangs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are finally settling back to normal – or, well, as normal as this crew can get. Also, there is sand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salutations!
> 
> I know, I know, I'm late – AHHH!!  
> I've been heaps busy with having a new job and all, so my schedule has been messed up ever since. There might be changes coming for that one; my updates probably won't be as frequent anymore aka once a week. I'll probably gun for a chapel every two weeks just to give me enough time. Is this how genuine Adulting feels like?? YIKES.
> 
> As usual, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!! I love reading your comments, they make my day! I hope all of you know that I appreciate you all so very much for your feedback and enthusiasm. I truly enjoy writing this story, so I'm glad to know that there are people out there enjoying it just as much. I hope you do enjoy this new chapter, let me know what you think!  
> I wish you all a wonderful day and take care!  
> – Crow

* * *

 

The news of Rango’s demise at the hands of Whitebeard travelled fast. According to Marco, whatever was left of his crew immediately turned tail and took their ship that had been neatly hidden away in an alcove close to the cliff. They knew that there was no way of winning another fight with the Whitebeard pirates – not when they lacked their captain and his powers.

On top of that, the liberated animals seemed to harbour a vague sense of recollection of what happened to them; apparently many of the abused creatures had gone after the crew, wild with hunger and insatiable thirst for revenge. Quartz had shaken her head at that.

“ _Not revenge_ ,” she had said to Marco after he was done keeping her up to date. “ _That was justice_.”

It had been two days after the whole Battalion of Beasts mess and everything finally seemed to settle down for good. The island itself appeared at peace, exotic bird calls making the trees sing and there was the occasional flash of a deer or two, brave enough again to visit the edge of the jungle as seagulls waded through the shallow water near the shore. Things were good. All except for Quartz herself.

“This is how I die,” she said dully, staring up at the ceiling of the med-bay. “I’m dying. Dying to death.”

There was a rustle of clothes and a shadow fell over Quartz, chuckling. “You’re not dying, Quartz-chan.” Nana’s lips quirked in amusement when the kid groaned again. Patiently, she checked the girl’s bandages once more.

“I am. I’m _bored_ ,” Quartz insisted, sitting up unprompted when Nana took out the stethoscope to check her heart. “I’ve been rotting in here for two whole days, I’m telling you, I’m _fine_.”

“You know it’s not my place to make the decision. Either Marco-san or Paya-nee are able to green-light you in this case.” The black haired nurse explained, jotting down some notes. Quartz huffed.

“Pineapple is too much of a hard-ass about everything, it could take me ages, I’ll be old by then!” She exclaimed, folding her legs beneath her and leaning forward a little to let Nana inspect her eyes with a small flashlight. “And Nee-sama expects me to sucker punch a brick wall to be convinced that I’m _okay_ at least.”

Another delightful chuckle escaped the nurse’s lips. “I’m sure you will be able to leave soon, just be a little bit more patient, hm?”

As if on cue, there was a soft knock at the door before Dotty, a short plump nurse with mint-coloured hair pinned into twin buns, stuck her head into the room. “Quartz-chan, Pops would like a word with you.”

Nana blinked in surprise. “Well, that was the fastest soon I’ve ever witnessed.”

Quartz however, had already jumped out of bed, not wasting the chance to get out of her solitary confinement, but she barely made it out of the door, when Dotty snatched the back of her collar. As if on instinct, the girl slumped back, grumbling under her breath as she was tugged back into the room.

“Not so fast,” Dorothy chided, before thrusting a bundle of clothes into Quartz’s arms. “Change first, they’re from Izo. You don’t want to turn up in scrubs.”

Nana hummed. “Also, don’t forget your necklace.” She pointed to the neatly coiled up rosary sitting on the table next to Quartz’s bed. The girl swiped it from the table, eyeing the clothes in her hands as she put her rosary around her neck.

The clothes were fairly simple – a pair of plain khaki shorts with a dark yellow tank. Curiously, Quartz unfolded the tank, only to promptly squash down the urge to rip that thing apart. Emblazoned on the front of the tank, was the roundish face of a tiger, obviously simplified with glittery circle eyes and a pink tongue lolling out. Clearly, it was an item intended for children.

“I refuse to wear this.” The girl declared bluntly, but Dotty only raised an amused eyebrow.

“Do you have much of a choice?”

Quartz’s lips wobbled in contempt as the two nurses giggled.

“ _I’m going to kill Izo_.”

 

* * *

 

When Quartz made her way to the deck, she found that the ship was mostly empty as no one crossed her on her way up. Most of the crew must’ve gone back to the island to continue with their ‘holiday’ at the beach. As she stepped out of the hallway onto the open deck, goosebumps raced down her back when the fresh sea breeze hit her – it felt good to smell the clear ocean spray again, instead of the stuffy stale air filled with antiseptic. The sun felt warm on her face and Quartz allowed herself a moment, letting the fresh air and sunshine soak in. Something in her preened slightly, wanting to stretch and take a nap right there in the sunny spot.

“Quartz, yoi,”

The girl opened her eyes – since when had she closed them? – and turned her head to her right, finding Marco standing halfway down the stairs. He sent her one of his trademark sly half-grins.

“Out and about, I see.” He jutted his chin out at her bandages. “How’re your injuries?”

“Healing,” Quartz replied. “My ribs are pretty much done, thanks to your whole phoenix voodoo.”

“It’s not voodoo.”

“Eh,” the girl shrugged, clearly uncaring. It made Marco shake his head in mild exasperation. “The old man wants to see me,” Quartz then added and the commander nodded.

“Yeah, he’s waiting for you,” He turned, heading down the stairs while throwing an expectant look over his shoulder. “Let’s go, yoi.”

The two of them crossed the vast deck, passing the few crew members who were heading back out to the island. Quartz’s eyes followed them, glueing themselves onto the green isle they had docked close to. She wouldn’t mind visiting again, she had planned on checking up on the animals, seeing as the whole disaster had passed. Her distraction was rewarded with her nearly colliding with Marco, when the man had stopped. He sent her a curious look, just as Quartz quickly took a few steps back, feigning nonchalance as if she hadn’t just bumped into Marco’s hip on accident. Thankfully, Whitebeard interrupted any upcoming questions.

“Brat,” he greeted them – well, Quartz, really – and grinned. “It’s good to see you outside again. Hope the nurses haven’t been too hard on you, hm?”

There was a scoff to the captain’s left. “Please,” Namur muttered, “we all know the nurses love to have the brat to themselves. They probably spoiled her rotten.”

“Keeping me under supervised solitary confinement for two days is them spoiling me?” Quartz groused, crossing her arms petulantly. The fishman gave her a shark-toothed grin and sniggered.

“That’s fair,” he inclined and the girl stuck her tongue out at him. She then squeaked a second later when Marco brought a hand down to ruffle her hair. Whitebeard let go of a low chuckle, but sobered up quickly.

“I trust you have made a full recovery?”

Quartz straightened up again, nodding. “The bandages are more of a pre-caution. They don’t want me accidentally reopening my scratches and bleeding all over the place.”

“Excellent,” the captain said. “Then you should be safe enough to commence your training.”

“I suppose so– wait, my _what_ now?” Quartz sputtered incredulously and there was a familiar laugh ringing out from beside Whitebeard. Thatch grinned, hands on his hips and a bandaid on his scratched cheek. He cocked an eyebrow.

“Haven’t you heard?” He teased. “A little birdy told me that you’ll be receiving offical training for your devil fruit ability!”

Quartz immediately stared at Marco. “I wouldn’t exactly call you little.”

“Alright, first of all; I didn’t tell him anything, yoi,” Marco clarified, pointing a thumb at Thatch before frowning. “And second of all; did you just call me fat?”

“Maybe you should cut down your intake of sunflower seeds,” the cook crooned, snickering when the phoenix glared at him as Namur choked out a laugh. Quartz snorted.

“You eat seeds? Can you get any more cliche?”

“Says the kid who demands chicken all the time, yoi.” Marco muttered back at the girl.

Whitebeard grinned at the entire exchange, both proud and mildly smug over the fact at how easily Quartz was roped into the crew’s daily bickering. It just seemed so delightfully natural, the way she dished out jibes with no real fire behind her words – not like the first time she arrived here. He wouldn’t go as far to call her completely changed, but…there was a difference from Quartz now and Quartz then. A bit calmer, less dark in her expression and, dare he say, comfortable. _Secretly_ comfortable, the way she would attentively listen to Marco when he wasn’t looking, or the way she would spend countless of hours practising her writing, despite her obvious disdain for such literary tasks.

The captain chuckled, a deep and content sound. “That’s enough you two, leave your poor oldest brother alone.” Marco merely spared him a vaguely disgruntled glare. Namur and Thatch sniggered, the latter folding his arms behind his head and Quartz turned her attention back towards Whitebeard, meeting his amber eyes. “As for you, my dear; your training will start today. Your primary teacher will be Marco, seeing as the majority of your combat skills stem from your abilities. However, you shall receive further lessons in other skills to help you branch out.”

The girl didn’t seem too happy about the arrangement, upcoming anger evident in her dark eyes. “Is it because I got myself captured so easily?” She bit out testily. Whitebeard’s face immediately morphed into a stern frown, looking almost irritated himself as he sat up straighter, practically looming over the four of them.

“That is not it and _you_ know it,” the man said in a deceptively calm voice, eyes narrowing. Something knowing swam in his serious gaze and Marco watched how Quartz’s mouth twitched. Her face looked pinched, and Thatch exchanged a short uncomfortable glance with the others. Whitebeard closed his eyes for a moment, exhaling deeply through his nose before opening his eyes again. His gaze had considerably softened. “I am well aware that you had the last five years to figure out your devil fruit. Judging by what you were capable of during the last battle, your control is certainly impressive. But you are still raw, inexperienced. What other forms have you achieved during your own training?”

Quartz shrugged and grumbled something incoherently under her breath. Marco proceeded to gently nudge her between her shoulders, sending her a pointed look that said “ _Be nice_ ” when she looked at him. Her expression turned into something sour.

“…only one,” she then admitted grumpily, refusing to meet anyone’s gaze. “I can manage full-form just fine.”

Marco seemed almost surprised. “No hybrid-form?” She shook her head and he let go of a thoughtful hum. “However, you seem to have mastered partial transformation, yoi.”

“It was necessary,” Quartz revealed, but didn’t further elaborate on _that_ worrying statement. “I spent a lot of time on being able to transform only certain parts of my body. Mainly ears, arms and legs.”

“What about your tail?” Thatch questioned and the girl suddenly looked mildly embarrassed.

“That one wasn’t really– it’s… _complicated_.” She pressed through clenched teeth and Whitebeard raised an eyebrow. Quartz relented. “I don’t always, _uh_ , control when it…sprouts.”

“Wait, _what_ –”

“Sometimes it just appears, okay?! I don’t always control it, so I just hide it!” Quartz hissed, then immediately sucked her lips in in frustration. Thatch nearly wheezed and Namur just blinked.

“And _this_ is why I’m going to train you, yoi.” Marco announced, bringing his hands up to his hips. “Being able to control your ability is essential. You need to know what, why and how your powers are causing certain reactions. Not only does it benefit you with a deeper understanding on how you work, but also how you can apply it within combat and use it to it’s fullest potential, yoi.”

The reasoning was perfectly logical and Quartz hated it. So, as per usual, when not knowing how to reply to a reasonable explanation which she cannot refute, she changed tactics; meaning she got petty.

“Geek.” Quartz grumbled and Marco tilted his head to the side with a confused frown on his face. Thatch smothered his upcoming snort with a hand, but Namur shamelessly barked a laugh. Whitebeard could feel the tense atmosphere dispersing again and he allowed himself a small grin.

“It’s settled then,” he declared, gazing down at Marco. “The beach seems befitting for the first lesson.”

“Hey! I didn’t agree to anything!” Quartz cut in, only to freeze under the captain’s once more stern, yet somehow arrogant, gaze.

“This is an _order_.” Whitebeard rumbled and the 1st commander half-expected the girl to have a temper-tantrum, seeing how her shoulders were trembling. Instead, she said nothing, but her hair poofed out almost violently like the tail of an aggravated cat. Marco could hear Thatch choking on his spit behind him. Quartz aggressively crossed her arms and turned to the side petulantly, her expression an odd mix between a sneer and a pout.

“This is _bullshit_!”

“ _Language_ , ( _yoi_ )” was the immediate and collective reply she got from all the men around her. She threw her hands up in the air, groaning in annoyance before stomping off. Her whole attitude just about screamed uncooperative teenage behaviour. The others just watched her go and Whitebeard finally heaved a near exhausted sigh, bringing a hand up to rub at the bridge of his nose.

“Kids these days…”

 

* * *

 

True to Whitebeard’s words, because Marco was an actual Goody Two Shoes, he ordered Quartz onto the next best boat and shipped them off to the island. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Pineapple repeatedly asked her if she would be “ _okay on the island, are you sure you don’t mind being on the island, I don’t want you stressing out over the island_ ” and Quartz already thought of jumping the little dinghy just to escape. Thatch, who had declared himself bored with nothing better to do and therefore tagged along, seemed to have sensed her plans and decided to distract Marco enough until they reached the beach.

The cook brought the small boat closer, so that the two devil fruit users won’t have to deal with too deep water, and proceeded to wave at the rest of the crew, who were setting up a party not too far off. When Quartz jumped into the sand, just to fuck with Marco a bit, she gasped dramatically. The phoenix immediately whirled around, giving himself nearly a whiplash.

“What, yoi? What’s wrong?” He questioned, a worried crease already forming between his eyebrows. Slowly, the girl turned to face him, her fringe shadowing her eyes.

“I already have sand in my shoes.” She deadpanned, looking perfectly fine and Marco swore his normally cool & collected temper nearly blew a fuse.

“ _Stop that_.”

Thatch cackled, coming up behind Quartz, who stuck her tongue out at Marco while pulling one of her lower eyelids down. Still snickering, the cook lightly bumped his hip into the girl.

“Hey now, that was mean.” He teasingly admonished her. “Birdbrain is an old man, don’t stress his weak heart out like that.” Thatch grinned and Quartz sniggered quietly behind her hand and Marco wanted to toss the both of them into the sea. He sighed.

“Okay, look; I know you aren’t happy with this, but training will help you get a better grasp on your powers.” Marco said, hands on his hips. “It helped all of us, yoi.”

Quartz’s face went somber. “I don’t need a better grasp.”

“Quartz–”

“You saw what I can do.”

And it finally clicked in Marco’s mind. Despite her guarded expression, he could see the guilt swimming in her eyes – _you saw how I can hurt others._

 

( _Marco swiftly turned on his heel, only to come face to face with Quartz, her Blizzard Drill dissolving into cold wisps of air around her. He barely had time to lean back when a massive paw caught him, claws raking themselves deeply across his chest._

_The hit was awarded with a grunt of pain as Marco winced._

_Unaware of the young girl trapped in her own mind calling out his name in absolute fear_.)

 

His stern face softened as the youngest refused to look at him. Behind her, Thatch shot his brother a pointed look, before ruffling Quartz’s hair a little and going off to the side. “Quartz, yoi,” Marco called gently, waiting patiently until those big round eyes set themselves back onto his form. He smiled, open and sincere. “You’ll be fine.”

There was a reluctant shimmer of hope in her eyes. Feeling a little uncomfortable at the blatant sincerity, she looked off to the side again, scoffing slightly. “I don’t like promises,” she mumbled, feeling a vague sense of deja vu. Then, she sighed. “Alright. What are we doing?”

Marco’s smile turned sly and Quartz’s spine instantly went rigid out of pure reflex. “Well, the first class is usually the easiest, yoi,” the phoenix explained as he started to walk backwards, creating some distance. As he did, Thatch stationed himself between the two of them. “We pretty much just use it as a means to measure one’s current level of combat skills.”

After he created a considerable distance, Marco stood still, sly half-grin on his lips. “So,” he spread his arms, gesturing to Quartz. “Have a go at me, yoi.”

The girl’s stance relaxed immediately as she tilted her head to the side. “That’s it?” She questioned almost incredulously, looking suddenly wholly unimpressed. “I just gotta beat you up?”

“Well,” Marco shrugged carelessly, copying Quartz’s relaxed stance by putting a hand on his hip. “That is if you can land a hit on me.” He grinned and Thatch whistled.

“Am I hearing a challenge here?” The cook heckled, rubbing his hands together with a wide grin. Quartz scrunched her nose up in slight annoyance. But Marco wasn’t done yet.

“I’m pretty sure you can’t even get me on my back, yoi.” He taunted, eyes twinkling with mischief as he watched how the girl’s purple hair got all poofy again. One of her eyes twitched and oh my, it was truly so easy to get under her skin like this. It reminded him of a certain freckled commander with a similar temper.

“Oh man! Quartz, you’re just gonna take this?” Thatch hollered, clearly enjoying the act of fanning the fire Marco had just set in Quartz’s eyes. The kid growled and she stomped her feet apart, raising her fists.

“We’ll see about that, stupid pineapple!”

Thatch threw both his arms up, looking thoroughly amused. “Alright, ladies and gentlemen! We got ourselves a challenge!” He announced loudly, it caught the attention of the nearby crew. Fossa, who had settled himself on a barrel, smacked Blenheim on the arm next to him and pointed with his chin at the small spectacle. More members gathered a little closer to get a good look and Haruta had taken to climbing up Blenheim’s shoulder. Thatch grinned, looking between Quartz and Marco. “Now, I want a clean all-out brawl, okay?”

“All-out, huh…” Quartz muttered under her breath, suddenly shifting into a different position in a motion that reminded Marco of flowing water. He merely cocked a brow.

“The phoenix versus the tiger!” Thatch proclaimed enthusiastically in all his theatric glory before swinging his arms down. “ _Fight_!”

He barely managed to get out of the crossfire, when a small blur whizzed past him, leaving behind a cloud of kicked up sand. The audience cheered and Marco just managed to tilt off to the side as a leg came rocketing down, inches away from where his head had been. He could feel the air rushing past and his grin took a dangerous glint.

“Right, you’re a fast one,” he muttered, immediately knocking Quartz’s leg away to unbalance her, only to leap away when two massive tiger paws tried to claw him down. Marco landed in a slight crouch, skidding along the sand and watched how his opponent straightened herself up again. Diamond-shaped pupils zeroed in on him and glinting fangs dotted her challenging grin.

“I’ll make you eat your words, Pineapple!” Quartz jeered, brandishing her sharp claws and Marco couldn’t help but give her a taunting grin of his own. Blue flames flared as he unfolded his wings.

“I’d like to see you try, Kid Cat!”

 

 

They ended up trading blows for fifteen whole minutes. Or, well, Quartz liked to think they were trading blows and not just her being tossed around in the sand like a ragdoll. Fighting an aerial combat from the ground wasn’t exactly her forte, if she was being honest.

With a loud “ _oof!_ ” she was once more slammed into the sandy ground, skidding along and getting sand into places that _definitely_ had no business being there. Behind her, the audience groaned in sympathy before cheering once more. She popped up out of the small heap, shaking her head before growling. Her muscles ached and she already could feel bruises forming on her bruises and yet, despite her ferocious skills, Marco looked infuriatingly calm. Hell, he even looked _amused_ and it only served to piss her off further.

“Fuck him and his regeneration ability, what the fuck,” Quartz muttered grumpily, trying not to pant too much. Marco smirked at her, all sly and entertained. She wanted to deck him.

“Already feeling tired, Miss _I’ll-make-you-eat-your-words_?” He teased, watching how the girl hastily got up onto her feet again. He admitted, she did a very good job at hiding her impending exhaustion and an even better job at keeping up with him. However, he already figured out the many holes in her combat strategy; Marco won’t lie, he was impressed at her skill level. Quartz was a stubborn fighter, agile and flexible, which paired greatly with her speed and allowed her risky split-second decisions and rather flighty manoeuvres. It was a marvellous mix of freestyle and street-fight – in-between all of them, Marco could also sense a touch of wilderness, but it seemed fleeting at most.

And there was the problem; despite her apparent five years of solo-training in figuring out her devil fruit, Marco could see the obvious fact that Quartz wasn’t completely in tune with her ability. He’s pretty sure she flat out refused any further association with her devil fruit, because if she didn’t, she would’ve had the primary three zoan transformations down. Given her relationship with devil fruits in general however, Marco couldn’t really fault her for that. Yet, it was a glaring problem. Also, the fact that Quartz was young and possessed a flaring temper.

He dodged another hit from her, blocking her blows with his legs and pushing her back again. “You’re too reckless,” Marco announced as Quartz took a second to catch her breath, glaring at him with damp strands sticking to her face. “You see an opening and immediately go for it – you don’t even try to get a bigger picture, taking the time to predict attacks. That’s gonna cost you one day, y’know?”

“Hasn’t yet!” Quartz snarled, lunging at the phoenix again. Her attacks turned vicious and Marco had to dodge a blow that _literally_ went below the belt. He swiped at her with his wings, forcing her onto his knees.

“See? Reckless.” He pulled a leg back, fully preparing to send her flying again. Only, he belatedly noticed a furry appendage wrapped around his other ankle – Quartz took full advantage of Marco redirecting his balance and tugged his ankle right out from under him, sending him crashing onto his back.

The crew hooted and hollered. “Get him, Quartz!” Haruta cheered from Blenheim’s shoulder, swinging their fists through the air as Thatch howled.

Quartz barely gave the commander the chance to reorient himself, when she leaped at him, claws out and teeth snapping. Unfortunately, Marco had spectacular reflexes, and he caught her easily by pressing his feet into her abdomen, redirecting her trajectory and she promptly went sailing right over him. Her arc was pretty impressive, but her landing? Not so much, considering she basically crashed face first into the sand. The audience winced before groaning again.

“ _Yikes_ ,” Thatch supplied from the sidelines, looking mildly worried. “That must’ve hurt!”

_Not to mention the nurses will skin me alive_ , Marco thought, already cringing at the mental picture of him being berated by Paya. However, a small groan caught their attention again and out of the small sand heap, Quartz emerged. She stood, slightly swaying with her limbs back into their regular form, before coming to a standstill. Panting hard, she raised an arm to point wordlessly at Marco without looking at him. There was a breathless little laugh and the phoenix swore he must’ve heard wrong. A face littered with scratches and small bruises finally met his confused gaze.

“I won.” Quartz wheezed with a victorious grin. Both commanders blinked.

“Well,” Thatch started, “technically you–”

“You didn’t.” Marco stated bluntly, ignoring the cook’s “ _Wow, way to be subtle, birdbrain._ ”. But Quartz didn’t lose her grin, victory only seemed to spark in her eyes.

“You said I couldn’t get you on your back,” she declared, fangs glinting in the sunlight. “But guess what I just fucking did, Pineapple.”

That stunned Marco. And for a second, he felt the sand on his back again, the dull throb that had raced through his body when he hit the ground. Thatch appeared next to him, looking just as flabbergasted.

“Oh,” he said, before glancing at Marco. His face split into a gleeful grin. “ _Ooooh_! She _got_ you! She actually bloody beat you in your own game, I’m–!” He cackled, head thrown back and sounding like a hyena. Before the 1st commander could react, the cook had already dashed off in direction of the crew.

“Blimey, everybody, guess what just _fucking_ happened!”

Marco sighed, wings receding. It really wasn’t that much of a victory, but there was still a sense of pride that welled up in his chest. Quartz did actually upkeep her word and stuck with it. He smiled at her, only to find her still pointing at him viciously with a grin that reminded him of Haruta’s little gremlin face. Marco raised his eyebrows at that.

“It hurts to move,” the girl admitted through clenched teeth.

Marco’s fingers immediately coated themselves in blue fire. “What hurts the most?”

“Everything.”

 

* * *

 

Being at the receiving end of Marco’s healing flames felt like being embraced by a warm fire, gently lapping at your wounds and coaxing them into healing, chasing the pain away. It was pleasant, but Quartz didn’t pay too much attention to it. The commander noticed how the girl’s eyes strayed over the cheering crowd as Thatch recounted the match.

“Are you searching for someone?” He asked, carefully examining her bruised knuckles. Quartz said nothing for a while as she examined the crew.

 

( _She could feel the slimy grip on her mind slipping as the cold ocean water pressed in. Her lungs burned, so did her eyes, stinging in the salt. She was drowning and everything became blurry, hazy._

_Something was holding on to her, tightly. Not budging. Not letting go. It should’ve made her panic, the grip around her middle as bubbles danced in front of her darkening sight. But for some reason, the embrace felt safe. As if it was protecting her._

_She blinked and saw freckles. A chain of red beads floating freely in the water. And then._

_Nothing._ )

 

She shook her head. “No.”

Marco hummed, letting his soft flames dance along her hands, looking much smaller in his own.

“You’ll find him.”

 

* * *

 

Quartz could still hear the noise of the party ahead of her, despite sitting in a tree at the edge of the jungle, softly cloaked by the night and shadows. With her legs dangling in the air, she watched the pirates from afar as they drunkenly danced around the few campfires, hooting and hollering while holding the bottles of rum in their hands. She could hear the ocean waves intermingling with the roaring laughter and behind her thrummed the wild, a hum of nocturnal animals.

It was nice. Peaceful. She didn’t move at the sound of leaves rustling close to her, didn’t bat an eye at the nearing scent of campfire and sunny days. The thick branch she sat on only shuddered slightly when Ace finally settled next to her.

Both of them said nothing for a while, only gazing out onto the beach before them. Watching their family– err, _Ace’s_ family get drunk off their asses and most likely will complain about the hangover tomorrow. Quartz shifted a little, more or less a move to alert her commander.

“For someone who has a big mouth,” she started bluntly, “you sure know how to hide. I haven’t seen you all day.”

The reply was a low, uneasy chuckle. “Yeah, years of practice kinda give you that ability, y’know?”

“I know.” Quartz said without blinking, dark eyes following the quick glows of flying embers. A solemn silence entered after that. She could feel the question hanging in the air, but Ace said nothing. Instead, he sighed quietly.

“I– I came here to apologise,” he admitted with a guilt-heavy voice, shoulders slightly slumped and brows knitting together. “For nearly, uhm, drowning the both of us.”

The girl next to him clicked her tongue. “You’re an idiot.”

“I don’t expect you to forgive me right off the bat, I just–” Ace fell silent when Quartz turned to face him. Her expression was unreadable, but there was a solemn shimmer in her eyes.

“You and I both know that I would’ve rather died instead of becoming someone’s personal lapdog.”

The following silence was answer enough. Ace knew, Quartz knew – they both knew that such a fate, to be under someone’s control, to be someone’s _pet_ , was worse than death itself. Freedom meant everything, especially for a pirate like Ace. However, he wasn’t so sure what the freedom meant for his newest comrade. The quiet atmosphere between them was a sullen one, heavy with an emotion the elder couldn’t quite place. Meanwhile, next to him, Quartz had started to clench and unclench her jaw, clearly contemplating on something.

“When–” Ace turned his head to look at the girl, who pressed her lips together into a thin line. She stubbornly kept her eyes forward. “When that bastard was in my…in my head, it was like sitting in a theatre. Only there is just one seat and you’re sitting on it, watching everything on a big screen. You can see everything, hear everything…but you can’t move. You just sit there and watch.” Quartz lowered her gaze onto her hands resting in her lap, slowly unfolding them. “You just– you can only watch how your body moves without your permission. Does _things_ without you wanting to. No matter how much you struggle and how loud you scream…you can only sit and _watch_.”

Her hands, smaller than Ace’s own, curl back into fists, clenching so hard he could see her knuckles whitening. They trembled slightly, just like Quartz’s voice, the corners of her lips turned down into an ugly snarl. Despite the rising anger in his chest, Ace carefully settled his hand onto her small shoulder.

“He’s gone now,” he said. “Oyaji made sure that he sank to the very bottom of the sea.”

Quartz didn’t shrug his hand off. Instead, she scoffed. “Right, and his devil fruit will reincarnate back into this world for someone else to pick up his slack.”

“Or,” Ace offered with a slight smile, “someone else would finally put it to good use.”

There was a pessimistic huff and the commander’s eyes softened a little. “It’s okay, y’know?”

“Huh?”

“To have some hope.”

Big round eyes stared at him, slightly startled but guarded. Quartz’s mouth quirked into a scowl, but the only thing she uttered was a grumpy “ _Hn_.” and Ace took it as a reluctant sign of acceptance. He chuckled, taking his hand back and fixing his gaze towards his drunken crew once again.

“By the way; good job on Marco. Was he surprised?” He asked, almost in an afterthought and Quartz made an affirmative sound.

“Not going to lie, I thought the Pineapple would ground me until the next century.”

Ace threw his head back as he barked a loud laugh, missing the small amused curl in Quartz’s lips. Then, he straightened back up, suddenly smirking mischievously.

“I bet you next dessert that Rakuyo’s gonna set his pants on fire before Blamenco gets to sing his inappropriate sea shanties.”

“You’re on.”

 

* * *

 

Rakyuo’s pants caught fire not three minutes later and Quartz nearly pushed Ace off the branch out of pure pettiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious about little tidbits of Quartz? About her and the crew?
> 
> Why not ask Quartz herself! Find her and her usual shenanigans on Quartz' ask Blog!  
> <https://ask-the-tiger-cub.tumblr.com>
> 
> Don't worry, she won't bite. Much.
> 
> [For All Things One Piece; come yell at me.](https://luscaina.tumblr.com)


	10. trouble double

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thatch had an idea. Hair dye was involved and sibling banter ensued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> I finally got around to finishing this chapter! It's almost embarrassing, considering that it isn't even that long and is now back into being more focussed on the shenanigans. BUT, I'm proud of it anyway because I actually got it done despite being so busy with work, AHH–  
> Thank you all so much for your support and your kind words, I haven't gotten around to reply to the previous comments, I'll try to catch up to those this week if everything goes as planned! Thank you all for your patience!  
> This has been a fun chapter to write, so I hope you all enjoy yourselves – have a wonderful day and take care!  
> – Crow

* * *

 

Haruta sighed, rather content than annoyed. They wandered amongst the tall trees, occasionally brushing the overhanging leaves of bushes gently to the side. There was a slight rustle to their right, and as they turned, they managed to snag a brief glance of a shy deer, which immediately took off back into the depths of the jungle at the sight of the fencer. Haruta smiled at the retreating creature, hands on their hips and turning their gaze up into the trees.

“Satisfied?” They asked loudly, blue eyes searching the vast green above them. Another brief rustle of leaves and the commander took a step back just as Quartz came leaping out of a tree. She landed in a neat crouch, tiger ears attentively pointed forward before twitching. Quartz hummed thoughtfully.

“It’s quiet,” she said before standing. “Which is a good sign, considering the shitshow they’ve been through. All of them are returning to their normal cycle.”

After the curb stomp battle with Marco, in which she got away with only a small victory, and then both of them being berated by Paya (Marco and Thatch had been threatened with several needles and the cook wailed that he had nothing to do with this, to which Quartz called bullshit), she finally got around to check up on the island and its animals like she wanted to. Unfortunately, the Pineapple wouldn’t let her go alone. Fortunately, Haruta called dibs and knowing that the fencer was a lot more lax than tree-trunk-up-his-ass Marco, Quartz accepted the deal with little fuss.

Haruta looked skyward once more, squinting at the sunlight filtering through the green leaves. “Sounds good to me. Ready to head back then?”

The girl nodded, round ears still swivelling around from time to time as they started to trek back to the beach. Birds called gently into the jungle and a rather sizeable butterfly in brilliant colours of the sky at dusk fluttered past them. Haruta’s eyes trailed after it in silent awe, but their gaze kept flicking back and forth between the scenery around them and the twitching ears nestled on top of Quartz’s head.

“Can you talk to animals?”

The round ears folded flat against the purple hair and the girl turned her head slightly to frown at the fencer. “Why does everybody ask that?”

“You just seem to always know what they’re up to.” Haruta gave an one-shouldered shrug.

“Does the Pineapple?”

The fencer laughed. “Nah, Marco doesn’t talk to animals.”

“Then what makes you think I do?” Quartz argued petulantly. “We ate the same type of devil fruit. Just because we can turn into an animal doesn’t mean we can talk to them. Our additional instincts just allow us a deeper understanding of their behaviour.”

“So you _do_ talk to animals.”

Quartz opened her mouth again, only to hesitate, face scrunching up as she seemed to think about the whole conversation very hard. She blinked, face morphing from irritated, to stunned and then to annoyed. Haruta sniggered at the whole transition and Quartz huffed. Suddenly, her ears perked up and she snapped her head around to face the wild leopard loafing on an overhanging tree branch not too far from the duo. It’s green eyes observed the two pirates silently, the tip of its dangling tail twitching inquisitively.

Haruta went immediately wary – the crazy mind control mojo might be over, but that was no reason to trust wild animals blindly. Especially a wild leopard, they were known to hunt pretty much anything. Their hand rested on the hilt of their sword, almost expecting a fight, but a stretched out arm stopped them from proceeding any further. Haruta sent Quartz a look in wordless question.

“We’ll be fine,” the girl said, face calm despite her ears swivelling forward in attention. “This is not its territory.”

Without any further explanation, Quartz resumed walking and the commander followed, however reluctant on taking their eyes off the animal. The wild feline only watched them go, tail twitching back and forth at the tip, ears perked up curiously and green eyes never leaving the duo. They’ve left a considerable distance behind and Haruta half-expected the wildcat to jump after them – but the leopard simply yawned, maw wide open before nestling its head onto its paws, ready to take a lazy afternoon nap.

Somehow, that made the fencer smile.

 

* * *

 

“What’s that on your face?”

Sensing that the question was directed at her, Quartz peeked around the crate she had set onto the table in the kitchen, as per instructions. She cocked an eyebrow, freely visible as Izo was adamant on wanting to fully repair Quartz’s bandanna.

“Whaddya mean?” She threw back, before placing her hand onto her left cheek as Thatch pointed at his own. There wasn’t anything unusual beneath her fingertips. The rustle of clothes close to her left shoulder alerted her of Haruta leaning down to take a look.

“Looks like mud to me,” the fencer said, pushing a finger into the youngest’s cheek to rub off the dried dirt that had no doubt accumulated during their trek in the jungle, speckled over her cheeks like dirt freckles. A smaller hand lightly smacked away the offending finger and Quartz tugged the collar of her simple black tank up to wipe at her face.

“Gone?” Quartz asked, lowering the cloth and Haruta gave her a thumbs up. Thatch, however, only regarded her with a thoughtful look, rubbing his goatee between his fingers. He hummed and his eyes brightened.

“Are you wearing Ace’s shirt?”

The girl startled, before glancing down onto the big yellow button-up shirt she wore over her tank. “No? Izo ambushed me after I came back and forced me to change.”

“I see,” Thatch eyed Haruta carefully, who nodded in confirmation. Then, a big grin stretched itself across his face. “Y’know, this just gave me a _brilliant_ idea,” he said, waving Haruta over to whisper something into their ear. The fencer’s eyes went wide for a second, before staring at Quartz and then back at Thatch. The cook waggled his eyebrows, teeth glinting and Quartz grew wary when Haruta broke out into their mischievous pixie grin. They both turned to look at the youngest, faces gleeful.

“…what?” She groused, round eyes squinting suspiciously. Thatch leaned forward, smirking.

“How do you feel about dyeing your hair?”

 

* * *

 

With a heavy _thud!_ Ace jumped back on deck, immediately taking the chance to stretch and yawn for good measure. He had been scouring the island since this morning, marking off spots that held potential food sources and directing a group back to the creek in order to up their clean water stock. Also, he accidentally fell asleep in a ditch and had the group panicking as he supposedly vanished from their sight. Overall, it had been a productive day so far.

He hummed an unknown tune as he walked along deck, sidestepping a few crew members carrying heavy crates around as they all prepared for departure. On his way, he passed a small group from his division, the four of them involved in a lighthearted conversation. Ace waved at them cheerfully.

“Hey, guys!”

One of the men looked up in surprise. “Commander! Where did you come from all of a sudden?” He asked, looking mildly flabbergasted. Ace’s grin didn’t falter, but his eyebrow did quirk oddly.

“What do you mean, man? I just got back from the island.”

“Huh,” another man with a greying full-beard muttered, shaking his head in amusement. “Could’ve sworn we just saw you tagging along with Marco not too long ago.” He said and a younger looking lad next to him began to snicker, only to receive an elbow into his side from his neighbour. The freckled commander huffed a small laugh.

“Perhaps your age is catching up to you, Mr.Turner,” he teased good-naturedly before continuing on his way. Behind him, the man barked a laugh.

“Nonsense, laddie, I still have a spring in my step!” Ace chuckled quietly at that, dismissing the group as they dissolved in mischievous sniggers. However, that didn’t stay the first weird encounter he had today, quite the opposite really; the deeper Ace ventured on the ship, the more he was met with weird questions and questionable snickers. At one point he even checked himself over subtly in a mirror, just to ensure that there wasn’t anything weird on his face. Or a paper slapped onto his back with an embarrassing message scribbled on it. There was none, of course, so why the hell was everyone acting so strange? They were all fine this morning when he had left.

“Oh, Ace-honey, did you forget something?” Rochelle, a joyfully plump woman with a biceps as big as Ace’s head and an even bigger heart, asked him curiously. The commander only gave her a confused glance, not understanding what she was asking.

“What?”

She pointed above them. “I just saw you heading up. I just thought now that you’re back down here, you must’ve forgotten something.” There was an odd shimmer in her honey brown eyes and Ace furrowed his brows, shaking his head.

“I– No, I haven’t been down here all day!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I–” Ace paused, face scrunching up in absolute baffled confusion. “What is going on here?!” He asked loudly, stomping past Rochelle and a few startled crew members. Just as he vanished from sight on the stairs, Rochelle giggled, along with the rest of the crew at the oblivious commander.

Ace wasn’t exactly angry – more like irritated. It seemed like everyone, except him, knew what was going on and that he was just running in circles like some headless chicken. It didn’t help that the entire crew sent him knowing looks, followed by amused chuckles and before Ace could completely freak out thanks to the mounting paranoia, he spotted a familiar mop of blue hair amongst the crowd. He made an immediate beeline for Deuce, who just stepped out of the galley.

“Deuce!” The writer blinked in surprise, when his commander popped up right in front of him, a slightly manic look in his eyes. “Thank god, I’ve found you! Listen, man, something weird is going on–”

Deuce swallowed down a snort and instead smiled pleasantly. “Commander, what a surprise! Weren’t you just inside?” He nearly broke at the sheer devastation Ace’s face fell into.

“You too?!” Ace shrieked, reaching the end of his rope. “I haven’t been on the ship all morning!”

“Ace, what are you talking about?”

The young commander threw his hands up in irritation. “You saw me leaving for the island – you were literally _there_!” Ace cried, appearing to be absolutely betrayed by his own second-in-command, who was suspiciously chewing on his bottom lip. It was a habit Deuce had developed whenever he was trying hard not to– Ace squinted at him, a sudden epiphany hitting him like a brick to the face. “This is Thatch’s doing.”

As if to prove him correct, the writer dissolved into wheezing laughter and Ace brushed past him, growling as he entered the galley. He crossed the vast hall with fast strides, ignoring how a snickering Deuce followed him to the kitchen. Through the wooden door, Ace could hear the cook’s muffled laughter and chose the moment to slam the door open.

“ _Thatch_!” He bellowed loudly as the cook squawked. “What the hell did you do! Everyone has been–” he interrupted himself as he choked back a scream when he noticed the black-haired figure next to the cook. Tanned skin and a freckled face with a familiar yellow button-up shirt and big, round eyes– _now_ _wait a damn minute_. Ace blinked, so did the apparent mini-version of him. Then, he tilted his head to the side, another gesture that was mirrored.

“… _Quartz_?!”

She crossed her arms. “No, this is Portgas D. Ace.” She said with no apparent irony, face as stoic as ever. Behind her stood Marco, who discreetly lifted a hand to his face to rub his thumb against his nose, but it was pretty obvious by the way he pressed his lips together that he was trying to hide an amused smile. Haruta, perched on a nearby chair, shamelessly cackled however. Ace only gaped.

“Why are you– How– What–” he stumbled through his various complaints and questions, until he leaned back as if to take in Quartz’s entire appearance with scrutinising eyes. He pointed at her. “Is that _my_ _shirt_?”

“As if you need it, Mr. Exhibitionist.”

“ _I’m not a–_ Marco!” Ace called petulantly at the eldest of the group, who snickered softly before pinching Quartz’s cheek in a clear manner that asked her to behave. “Why are you even doing this?”

Quartz shrugged. “You’re easy to rile up. It’s kinda funny. I refused the stupid cowboy hat, though.” She then pointed at Thatch. “It was his idea.”

The cook sputtered as Ace turned to scowl at him. “Now, hold on–” he said, throwing his hands up defensively– “I only wanted to see my theory in practice, the whole prank thing came after, I swear.”

“Your…theory?” The 2nd commander repeated and Thatch shrugged, gesturing to the girl.

“Yeah, I mean look at her – paint on some freckles and dye her hair black and she basically looks like you. Just shorter. And more adorable.”

Now it was Quartz’s turn to scowl at the cook, perfectly mimicking her commander in both expression and stance. In a near unnerving synchrony, they both scrunched up their noses.

“We don’t look alike.” They protested simultaneously and crossed their arms. Haruta snorted and Thatch folded his hands together as he brought them up to his lips, somehow looking both disappointed and elated at the same time. Deuce turned to Marco, who only had raised his eyebrows.

“This level of self-awareness astounds me.”

 

* * *

 

Whitebeard had taken his usual seat on deck, enjoying the sun while also making sure the necessary preparations were met for their impending departure. Various crewmen stopped by to update their captain on the progress and any last minute changes, diligently scurrying away once he waved them off. With a content sigh, the man leaned back in his seat, watching his children mingle on deck. He spotted Marco up ahead, usual clipboard in hand as he instructed Ace, who followed the elder with a dutiful expression on his face. Close at Ace’s heel was… another Ace?

In mild bewilderment, Whitebeard’s gaze followed the unlikely trio as they crossed the deck, Marco talking upfront as Ace trotted along with his miniature version trying to keep up with the long legs of the two men. The captain could’ve sworn, that the fluffy dark locks bouncing along with every step had been purple a few hours prior, it caused him to blink a few times.

“Huh,” he murmured, watching how the tinier Ace kneed the actual Ace in the hollows of his knees when they came to a halt, making the older buckle and spit curses. “Maybe Paya was right about the sake…”

 

 

* * *

 

“Look at me, I’m Portgas D. Ace and I smell.”

“You’re not funny.”

“Of course I ain’t. I’m You.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Then _beg_.”

 

Despite himself, Ace snorted at that one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious about little tidbits of Quartz? About her and the crew?
> 
> Why not ask Quartz herself! Find her and her usual shenanigans on Quartz' ask Blog!  
> <https://ask-the-tiger-cub.tumblr.com>
> 
> Don't worry, she won't bite. Much.
> 
> [For All Things One Piece; come yell at me.](https://luscaina.tumblr.com)


	11. cat, cat, dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quartz endures some of the usual Whitebeard shenanigans. Ace is in for a surprise – twice, actually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk my ladies, gentlemen and gentlethems, yall should hurry up and snipe me on the spot, I AM SO LATE.  
> No thanks to the MASSIVE COLOSSAL WRITER'S BLOCK I just had to brave! So I really, truly apologise not only for being late, but also if the quality of the chapter ain't up to par with the rest. I really needed to get out of that deep end, so I just went with whatever I had – it seems a bit filler-ish, until I was hit by another idea, so yeah, here's the end product, blease just take it, I wrote this in a span of, what, 6 hours?  
> I WAS DESPERATE. I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE YOU ALL HIGH AND DRY.  
> But to be honest? It was actually fun to write, I hope I can use this to jumpstart my entire productivity again! AHHHH, anyway, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE COMMENTS AND THE KUDOS! It's always a joy to hear what you think, I wish you all a wonderful day and take care!  
> – Crow

* * *

 

The cooling wind felt nice against her face, running through her hair as Quartz stared into the distance, eyes set into the direction where they had left the island behind. Despite the hot mess it had been, it was still a beautiful island. She could almost feel the sensation of wide green leaves brushing against her striped pelt as her paws thundered on the dirt – her senses filled with earth, forest and pure wilderness. As a tiger, the entire world felt a lot more free than it really was to her. Sometimes there were days, where she hasn’t been able to properly stretch out in a while, where everything itched. Her skin felt too small. The smallest sensations set her on edge and inside, she could feel the claws setting in. Rattling at the cage, wandering back and forth restlessly, growling to be let out. Quartz mused if it was just a thing with zoan users; she wondered if Marco found his human form restrictive too. Surely, the act of literally spreading his wings and just flying off high above the ground, away from everything, must be liberating.

Must be nice.

To fly, that is.

Quartz leaned on the ship’s railing, head planted on her crossed arms resting on the wood. She heard squawking above and shifted slightly to watch the seagulls fly over the Moby. Dark eyes shadowed by a maroon bandanna followed the birds inquisitively – it was relatively cloudy today, but she couldn’t smell rain yet and hoped it would remain dry for now. She sighed, inhaling the sea breeze as it tugged on the pale yellow shirt, this time halfway buttoned up. Her purple hair still retained a darker shade, thanks to the residue of the temporary black hair dye Thatch and Haruta used on her to prank Ace. Izo had promised her however, that the dye will fully wash out in another few days.

A high whistling noise pierced through the air.

At the familiar sound, Quartz reflexively turned and pushed herself away from the railing to approach the other end of the poop deck. She leaned over the railing to look down at the quarter deck and caught sight of Thatch, who stood with his hands on his hips and neck craned to smile up at her. He gave her a short wave.

“Hey, kiddo,” he called. “Mind feeding the critters for me?”

The island had been beautiful, but somehow, a small niggling voice in the back of her mind preened ever so slightly whenever she was on the ship.

 

* * *

 

“Stefan,” Quartz called, leisurely walking along the main deck as she held onto a bright red bowl full of dog food. “Stefan, it’s lunch time, come get your grub!” She even shook the bowl a little as if the rattling noise ofthe dry food could finally get the wayward dog’s attention.

There was the gentle tap of nails against wood closing in from behind her and her ears twitched. Quartz swivelled around to see the ship’s dog traipsing up to her, his tail happily propelling behind him and pink tongue lolling out comfortably under the unexplainable moustache the cream-coloured dog was sporting. When she had seen Stefan for the very first time during dinner, she had nearly choked on her mac and cheese when the first image that popped into her mind at Stefan’s sight was Whitebeard himself. These days, she just chalked him up as another anomaly that seemed to just exist within the community of this wacky pirate crew.

Stefan was a patient dog with round and kind eyes, blinking curiously at the girl, who held his lunch in her hands. With a final wag of his tail, he let his bottom plop down onto the deck and waited for the bowl to be set down in front of him. His ears perked slightly when Quartz tried to suppress a small snicker at his antics, but she crouched down in front of him and set his bowl down.

“Good dog,” she praised him quietly in a soft voice, scratching him behind both of his ears. That made him happy and his tail wagged so hard, it created a steady rhythm of _thump-thump-thump_ as it whacked against the wooden floor. Quartz let him go and the dog sank his face into the bowl, content with munching away on his lunch for now.

“One down, one more to go,” the girl mumbled, straightening herself up again to retrieve a bigger bowl from the kitchen, no doubt stacked with fresh meat for the resident wild feline. Her pace quickened slightly at the thought; Kotatsu had very good ears, he no doubt heard that Stefan got his share, and when he did, he had the nasty habit of–

Quartz heard the heavy drum of paws against wood and she broke into an all out sprint, trying to weave her way between all the crew members.

“Kotatsu, no!” She shrieked over her shoulder as she ran. “I’m not done yet, just wait– _ack_!”

She never got to finish when a mass of sandy-grey fur bowled her over mid-run. Now trapped between big paws and a furnace of a body, Quartz tried to fight her way out of the trap, that was an over affectionate lynx trying to butter up to whomever was willing to give him food. A sandpapery tongue laved her cheek and she grunted against the sea-salt and mild campfire scented fur.

“Ugh, get off!” Quartz heaved, freeing a hand to shove it up underneath Kotatsu’s chin to get him to stop grooming her. “You rotten feline, I told you to wait– _gah_ , quit licking me! If you would just let me– I was getting to you in a second, you–!”

Around them, crew members laughed merrily at the sight of their youngest fighting off the big lynx. After all, it wasn’t quite often that they got to see the usually closed off teen struggling with their daily shenanigans. Kotatsu purred, shaking the hand under his chin off as he curled around Quartz, unaware of how she squawked when he gathered her in his big paws. However, at a familiar whistle, the lynx immediately perked up and jumped onto his feet, leaving a slightly dishevelled teen in his wake as he trotted up to Ace. Still purring, the feline snaked around the warm legs of the commander. Ace chuckled.

“Causing trouble again, Tatsu?” He settled a hand onto a snuggly head and raised a playful eyebrow at Quartz. He watched how the girl unstuck her face from the wood, muttering angrily under her breath as she fixed the bandanna that had slid over her eyes. “Not much of an Animal Whisperer now, huh?” Ace teased and Quartz huffed.

“First of all; I don’t _talk_ to animals, dickface.” She glared at him, looking wholly unthreatening thanks to the hair on her left temple sticking up on all ends, having fallen victim to Kotatsu’s tongue before. “Second of all; Tatsu has no manners, because you don’t fucking teach him any!”

“With a mouth like that, he won’t pick up any manners from you either.”

“Whatever.”

Grumbling, she marched past him, ignoring his smug grin as Kotatsu purred, eagerly following the girl as she went to get his food.

Not ten minutes later, Kotatsu was seen scarfing down his diet of meat as soon as Quarz set the tray down for him. Despite the short scuffle from before, she stood close and fished out whatever got tangled in his sandy-grey fur this time. After a moment, she felt a gentle nudge at her leg and when she looked down, she found Stefan. The dog had obediently ambled up to her with his empty bowl in his mouth, setting it down close to her feet and wagging his tail.

“Oh, thank you,” Quartz crouched down to retrieve the bowl and took the time to reward the dog with a few pets, swallowing down a giggle when she saw his tongue roll out again. She hummed. “At least you have manners.” She side-eyed Kotatsu and poked him in the side – the action went unnoticed, of course.

“Unlike you,” she scolded the lynx, who only emitted a small growl, jaws snapping a bone clean in two. Quartz didn’t even flinch at the sound. Turning her attention back to Stefan, she froze comically when she saw the dog sneaking away with a half-eaten hambone, traipsing backwards as he tugged the stolen treat with him. A second later, he vanished behind a corner and Quartz blinked.

“Well, fuck me, I guess; none of you have manners.”

 

She doesn’t see the irony hours later, when she pinched a few slices of roast beef off of Ace’s plate as he loudly complained.

 

* * *

 

When Ace blinked awake, he was damn sure it was still way into the night, judging by how dark it was in his room. Sleep laid heavy within his limbs and mind, but narcolepsy was a bitch in many ways. Falling asleep wasn’t always an easy task for him, so he just lazily turned in his bed, from his side onto his belly and buried his face back into his pillow.

That was, until whatever woke him in the first place made itself known again.

A subtle scratching noise coming from his door; soft and gentle, it almost sounded like someone was knocking. Then, there was a shift on his bed and he could feel Kotatsu slinking off in the dark, faint moonlight reflecting on the light coloured fur. Ace closed his eyes again, mind begging for some semblance of rest. He listened how the lynx in his room seemed to respond to the mysterious entity on the other side of his door by scratching back. The noise stopped and instead, he heard a faint _click_ of his door opening softly. Kotatsu started purring – someone familiar, then. A hushed voice mumbled lowly into the dark, obviously talking to the lynx.

Ace thought he filtered out a small “ _Let’s go, Tatsu_.” and his sleep-muddled thoughts half stringed together the memory of Quartz being on night watch tonight. He exhaled and felt the atmosphere in his room shift at his small action.

_She can hear heartbeats_ , his half asleep mind supplied lazily, before finally shutting down. There was a stony silence, until he almost distantly heard the gentle padding of feet along his floor, coming to a stop next to his bed. The flutter of his blanket as it was settled over his shoulders and then soft footsteps, alongside claws clicking against the wood, receding. Another faint sound from his door and before Ace fully fell asleep, he knew he was alone.

The blanket felt warm.

 

* * *

 

The young commander got to repay the favour when he caught sight of Quartz the next evening, hidden away in a small nook on the poop deck. Kotatsu had curled himself around the teen as Stefan laid draped over her lap, all three of them looking to be asleep. As much as the sight was heartwarming, it was also surprising, because Ace was pretty sure that at this point, no one had actually ever seen Quartz asleep – save for the one time at the island, but there she had been knocked out.

Marco had always mused that it might have been a trust thing, that Quartz wouldn’t let herself be seen as vulnerable around the ship. He had worried that she might not be getting enough shut-eye. Despite the fact, Ace smiled slightly at the cuddle pile in front of him, until he noticed Quartz’s face scrunching up in her sleep. It was rather breezy today, so Ace went off to find a blanket, returning to see the teen bury her face into Kotatsu's fur while curling up into herself.

Stefan, now wide awake, sat beside her, no doubt awakened by her movement and Ace patted him on the head as he carefully tucked the blanket around Quartz. The dog only watched, leaning forward slightly to sniff at the teen. Ace’s lips quirked up into a smile again and he set off to get Marco, and maybe Thatch. Haruta too, because he’s pretty sure his sibling would throw him overboard at having missed the opportunity to see Quartz as peaceful as this. Gently descending the stairs, Ace heard Stefan follow him and when he went to smile down at the dog, he was met with a low whine, as if Stefan was worried about something.

Ace furrowed his brows, childish impulse coming up to ask the dog what’s wrong, but he never got to it when Quartz’s terrified screams ripped through the calm evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious about little tidbits of Quartz? About her and the crew?
> 
> Why not ask Quartz herself! Find her and her usual shenanigans on Quartz' ask Blog!  
> <https://ask-the-tiger-cub.tumblr.com>
> 
> Don't worry, she won't bite. Much.
> 
> [For All Things One Piece; come yell at me.](https://luscaina.tumblr.com)


	12. sleepless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quartz's secretive nature seems to interfere with her health, but before things escalate, Ace brings a remedy for the foul mood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salutations!
> 
> AHH, so I actually managed to build something from the last chapter – I'm actually very happy with how this chapter turned out, if I do say so myself. Or maybe it's because it has been a little self-indulgent, but hey, this is fanfiction and to quote our ever iconic Monkey D. Luffy himself, I Do What I Want.
> 
> This chapter has quite a mix to it – some angst and fluff and a bittersweetness to round it all off! I can already hear you all quaking in your boots, BUT BEFORE YOU NERF ME, it has some wholesomeness to it, so just keep that in mind before you come after my life asbdljb– blease, I just want to write about my bratty daughter growing up cared and nurtured for.
> 
> As always guys; thank you all so much for your support and kind words! It's always a delightful pleasure to read all your thoughts, so do not hesitate to leave a comment or kudos! I wish you all a wonderful day, take care everyone!  
> – Crow
> 
>  
> 
> POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS:  
> – Panic Attacks  
> – Discussion of Night Terrors
> 
> Always take care of yourselves, stay safe!

* * *

 

Marco vaguely registered Thatch dropping the small crate he was holding the moment the shrieks of terror were heard from above. They both turned, the cook’s hand instantly flying to the side of his hip where his saber usually resided – he came up empty. Marco almost didn’t recognise those screams, a sound so universal and yet unheard of to him because, he realised with mounting dread, those were _Quartz’s_ screams.

He barely remembered how he and Thatch managed to storm out of the galley and being met with the alarmed faces of their crew-mates, their frames all pulled taunt as if braced for an attack. By the time the screams went silent again, the two men had already located the source to the poop deck, finding a panicked Ace crouched next to a heavily breathing Quartz. There was a low whine from Stefan, who nosed the teen’s arm and behind her stood Kotatsu, fur all poofy from being startled.

“Quartz!” Marco hurried over immediately, closely followed by Thatch who looked around suspiciously, as if trying to find whatever source caused such a reaction from their youngest. The phoenix crouched next to Ace, his hands hovering over Quartz’s hunched over form while her breaths hitched violently. Her eyes were wide with horrors unseen.

“What the hell happened, yoi?” He questioned loudly as he read the signs of Quartz’s impending panic attack.

“I– I don’t know!” Ace’s voice was as frazzled and concerned as he looked. “I just saw her sleeping and brought her a blanket! The next thing I know she’s screaming and trashing around – I think she was having a nightmare!”

“That was one helluva nightmare, then.” Thatch muttered darkly as he leaned over the railing to sweep his gaze over the side of the ship. Just in case. Meanwhile, Marco tried to get Quartz to calm down, lest she’d pass out from an irregular oxygen cycle.

“Quartz, I need you to breathe with me,” he instructed calmly, hand reaching out to settle on her shoulder. He managed to dodge her claws just in time before they made contact with his face.

“ _Don’t touch me_!” The three commanders stilled at the teen’s shrill voice. Her breath stuttered, before exhaling heavily as she curled up, tucking herself back into the small nook so she could face them properly. She watched them with narrow pupils, shaking from head to toe. “Don’t touch me.”

“Okay,” Marco said softly, slowly lifting both of his hands to show her. “No touching. Can you tell me what happened?”

Her hands shook as she glared at him. “None of your business.”

“Quartz, yoi,” The 1st commander honestly was not in the mood for this. “If something brings such a reaction out of you, then maybe you should reconsider–”

“Are you deaf?” Quartz snapped, her already short fuse ready to blow completely. “I said it’s none of your business, leave me _alone_!”

“Is everything alright here?”

They all swivelled around to see Jiru standing a safe distance away, more or less guarding the stairs where many more crew members have gathered – some worried, some curious. Quartz could feel her skin itch and something dangerous bubbled just beneath it. Why won’t they just leave? She could feel herself shriek inside, claws rattling at the cage. She pressed her back against the wood behind her, trying her hardest to let it ground her.

“We’re fine,” Marco responded, uncharacteristically snappish and it only served to agitate the teen more. Just go, just go, just go– she squeezed her eyes shut as the anxiety set in, sweat beading at her temples. It felt like hundred eyes were looking at her, piercing stares that burn and prod and there are still shadows dancing in her head, fuzzy silhouettes, demons, _memories_ –

“Leave me alone!” Quartz repeated, her voice rising a pitch and Marco started to look stressed.

“Okay, okay, I’ll let you–” His voice drowned in the murmur of the mingling crowd, in the way Thatch barked at the others to give them some space, all drowning in a swirling vortex of buzzing static, it hurt Quartz’s ears. In midst of the chaos, she could hear a rapid thumping, loud like a drum and it took her a few seconds to realise that it was her _heart_. Everything was too loud, too much, like being caught in the middle of a yarn ball made out of barbed wire – then, in midst of the static and fuzz, she could hear fire crackling.

“ _That’s enough_!” Ace yelled, stunning the entire crowd into silence. Fire hissed along his arms and shoulders as he stood between the crew and Quartz, his usual boyish face hardened into a mask of anger. A few shivered at the sheer intensity in his glare and Marco knew there was no room to talk now – once Ace set his foot down, it was near impossible to talk him out of it. The phoenix could even pull rank on the younger commander and he still wouldn’t budge; he tried anyway.

“Ace–”

“ _Leave_.” The 2nd commander stared his numerous siblings down, mouth set into a grim line. “All of you.”

Marco glanced past Ace’s legs and caught sight of Quartz; huddled up into a tiny ball, tucking herself into the little nook as if she wanted to disappear within and pressing her face into her knees. She was shaking.

So, he relented.

“Okay…”

 

* * *

 

Kotatsu’s fur felt nice against her face, despite the tangles of wind and salt. Warmth radiated off him and she took a deep breath – the scent of Ace faintly clung to him, smelling of the sun and the sea and burning wood.

It was comforting.

She had heard the others shuffle away a while ago, no one daring to wander even _close_ to the poop deck for the time being and silently, she was thankful for that. Carefully, she chanced a peek over Kotatsu’s back from where he had curled up around her. A few feet away sat Ace, crosslegged as he stared up into the darkening night sky, back turned towards her.

A sign of trust.

Quartz watched the tattoo on his back, bright purple and grinning in victory at her. She seared that image into her head, hoping it would chase away the shadows. Her vision was then filled with warm cream and Quartz blinked up into Stefan’s round, kind eyes and his tail wagged. She rewarded him with chin scritches.

“Feeling better?”

The teen glanced up to see Ace looking at her calmly over his shoulder – there was no teasing lilt in his voice, nor an amused glint in his eyes. His face looked carefully blank; soft.

“‘M fine,” she muttered into the lynx’s fur. “It wasn’t anything special.”

“Yeah,” Ace sighed, “everyone gets nightmares.”

For some reason, she could feel her hackles rise; “They’re not nightmares.”

To her surprise, the elder snorted.

“Let me guess; they’re worse.” He said, turning his face back towards the sky. Quartz didn’t think he noticed how he had started to absentmindedly rub at the crossed out _S_ of his tattoo. “They’re _memories_.”

The teen wanted to scrunch up her nose. “So what if they are?”

“Talk to someone. It’s obvious you have issues.” Ace delivered bluntly, it almost startled a laugh out of her. Instead, it was her turn to snort.

“So do you, you hypocrite.” She pointed out, her cheek smushed against Kotatsu’s warm side. The commander barked a laugh.

“At least I don’t wake myself by screaming bloody murder!”

“You sound like Thatch.”

“Ain’t got no clue whatcha’ talking about, mate.” It was a perfect imitation of Thatch’s accent. Ace even included the motion of thoughtfully stroking his nonexistent goatee, just like the cook always would. This time, Quartz didn’t bother with hiding her laugh – a small burst of a titter, easily falling off her tongue. Distantly, Ace’s mind supplied him with the memory of a certain little boy, all big brown eyes and even brighter grins with a voice so loud so the whole world could hear his dream.

(“ _I’m gonna be King of the Pirates!_ ”)

The commander smiled at the new sound, but wisely didn’t comment on it. Instead, he took it as an invitation to turn slightly, stretching his legs out as he leaned onto his hands behind him. He let go of a loud yawn.

“If you fall asleep, I’m leaving you here.” Quartz groused, slightly muffled by Kotatsu’s fur. Ace snickered.

“Nah, I won’t, too hungry for that. Dinner should be on right now, you wanna get some food?”

The teen hesitated. Food sounded incredibly good right now, but the thought of entering a hall full of people who have witnessed yet _another_ meltdown of hers – yeah, _no_. Her guarded look was answer enough for him. Shrugging, he jumped to his feet with surefooted lightness.

“Wait here,” he called over his shoulder as he started to make his way off the poop deck, “I’ll get you your favourite.”

“I don’t have favourites,” The girl replied on instinct, but Ace only sent her an impish grin.

“Thatch knows _everyone’s_ favourites.”

 

* * *

 

When Ace entered the galley, he made an immediate beeline for the buffet, expertly carrying two plates as he loaded his with a growing mountain of food. After he was satisfied with the staggering size, he contemplated the buffet – what would Quartz like best? Chicken and peaches were the safest bet, but those could hardly sustain her as an actual dinner. Thatch would have his head if he ever found out he’d been feeding her just that. Or worse, ban him from dessert.

“Ace?” Oh, speaking of the devil. Thatch regarded him with a surprised look, before smiling. “Glad you could make it to dinner. I take it you won’t be staying for long?”

With a raised eyebrow he sent a pointed look at the second plate Ace was holding, no doubt already knowing what the younger had in mind.

“Yeah, about that,” Reaching forward, he gave Thatch the plate. “Could you do me a favour?”

Somehow, he knew exactly what he wanted to bring Quartz.

As soon as Thatch walked off to fulfil Ace’s request, the young commander could feel another presence arriving next to him. He didn’t need to guess who it was – carefully, he willed his face into blank neutrality as he turned slightly to face Marco. It was obvious that the phoenix was still displeased over the events few hours prior, judging by the small dip between his brows.

“How is she, yoi?” Marco asked quietly as he refilled his drink.

“Better,” Ace replied softly, piercing a potato piece on his fork. “She’s calmed down now.”

Out of the corner of his eyes, he watched Marco set his cup down – before he could even think, his hand already wrapped itself around the elder’s biceps.

“Ace–”

“Don’t,” Ace told him seriously. “You’ll scare her away.”

He almost caved when he saw the brief flash of disappointment in Marco’s eyes. However, Ace levelled him with a stare of such intense solemnity, Marco was suddenly reminded of why the younger was appointed as the 2nd commander in the first place.

“I know you care about her and that it’s frustrating to just sit by the sidelines, when you know that she’s not okay,” Ace tried to soothe, his eyes going soft. “But she doesn’t need you to constantly hover around her. She needs you to understand that there are some things, that she isn’t ready to talk about. She’ll come to you.”

He let go of Marco’s arm as the man regarded him with an unreadable look for a second. Then, his shoulders slumped slightly and he exhaled deeply, his entire form wilting. He looked tired.

“You make it sound so easy,” Marco muttered, bringing a hand up to rub at his eyes to chase away the weariness. Ace chuckled.

“You are one of the strongest and most intelligent people I’ve ever met Marco, and yet you’re completely oblivious to the fact that Quartz trusts you.”

“Is it bad to say that I have a hard time seeing it?” Marco asked with a bitter huff of mild amusement.

“No,” Ace replied easily as he shoved the potato into his awaiting mouth. “Quartz ain’t easy to read. But she trusts you. She may not tell you a lot, but that’s because she doesn’t feel like she has to reveal everything in order for you to treat her as a human.”

“She’s a child, yoi.”

“Exactly,” Ace used his fork to pick up a few steamed carrots. “You are safe to her, because you don’t pry. So, just give her time – trust her like she trusts you.”

Marco watched how he lowered his fork, eyes on his plate but they seem far away. The phoenix always wondered what the younger was seeing. However, he only observed in silence how the younger unconsciously brought up his hand to grip his left bicep – the one that held the tattoo with the mysteriously crossed out _S_.

“Sometimes,” Ace said quietly, “there are memories that still hurt too much to talk about.”

Marco understood that and he nodded softly.

The somber mood was broken, when Thatch came back, holding a full tray with Ace’s request. The 2nd commander’s face immediately brightened at that.

“That looks amazing–” he sniffed the air and a thin trail of drool made its way down the corner of his mouth. “And smells amazing too!”

“Remember this tray ain’t for you,” Thatch laughed as he gave the younger the tray. “Make sure not to spill anything!”

“Yessir!” Ace said cheerfully, holding Quartz’s tray, while somehow managing to balance his own full one on top of his head. Both cook and phoenix watched how their youngest brother made his way back out of the galley, miraculously managing to not make a giant mess. Thatch chuckled, leaning his chin onto his propped up palm.

“Got anything on Quartz?” He then asked into the silence after a while. Marco smiled his small crooked half-smile.

“She’ll be just fine.”

 

* * *

 

Recognising Ace’s ascending steps on the stairs, Quartz perked up from her small doze on Kotatsu. The heavenly smell of fresh food wafted through the air and she smelled chicken – it caused her to drool a bit. Not a second later, Ace appeared, expertly carrying a tray towering with food on his head, while also holding a second tray in his hands.

“Hey,” he greeted with an eager smile. “I got a surprise for you.”

Quartz only sat up and tilted her head to the side in a clear sign of question. She eyed the tray in his hands with attentive curiosity. Ace snickered, carefully sitting down in front of her while crossing his legs. He placed his own tray from his head down onto the wooden deck – then, he presented Quartz her dinner.

Placed neatly onto the tray was a big bowl full of soup and noodles, garnished with seaweed flakes, hard-boiled eggs, bamboo shoot slices and plenty of freshly sliced spring onions. In the middle of the garnish nest, sat a sliced crispy chicken cutlet, the entire bowl still steaming with heat. Next to it was a tall glass of sweet iced tea, at least three peaches and a pair of neatly placed chopsticks. Quartz’s eyes were positively round at the sight.

“This is chicken katsu ramen,” Ace explained, while biting into a bread roll. “I used to eat a lot of those when I was younger – back then, I’ve never tasted anything that good.”

He observed how the teen carefully picked up the chopsticks. Suddenly she hesitated, shooting him a guarded look. But Ace smiled.

“Go on, it’s really good! You’ll guaranteed feel full after this,” he promised. Quartz seemed to take his word and went for it, cautiously blowing at the still hot noodles before plunging them into her hungry mouth. She slurped and her cheeks went pink, eyes sparkling.

“ _Ischt gud!_ ” She warbled around her mouthful of noodles and her commander laughed.

They spent their entire meal talking, mostly about the food – it honestly baffled Ace slightly since Quartz was known to never be overly chatty. Usually she’d just grunt and make sarcastic quips. But then again, he stood by his opinion that ramen made everything better.

“What’s that?” Quart had asked during their easy conversation, one of the white fishcake stars with the pink swirl pinched precariously between her chopsticks to show him.

“That’s a narutomaki, it’s a type of fishcake – you’ll like it.”

She did, after chewing thoughtfully on it. Ace chuckled when the two animals started to make big googly eyes at them, no doubt asking for a scrap of food. He gave Stefan a bone to chew on, while Quartz allowed Kotatsu to eat a few slices of her chicken cutlet. Night fell around them and with practiced ease, the commander shot a few fire bullets into the unlit lanterns, casting a warm glow in their little nook.

Quartz finished her noodles, lifting the bowl with both hands and the dish seemed to be the same size as her own face. The soup was still pleasantly warm, tasting delightfully tangy yet mild – it was delicious. She brought the bowl back down, the porcelain plinking lightly when she set it onto the tray. Ace watched her lurch a little, before a loud burp escaped her mouth. She smacked her lips.

“Done,” Quartz declared as if she’d just won a fight and the commander sniggered. There was a sated glow surrounding her, tinging her cheeks the lightest of pink and all of the previous tension has poured out of her.

“Pretty damn good, huh?” Ace teased, sucking on a small bone. His own tray was pretty much empty at this point and he had taken to lying on his side, propping his head up with one hand as he allowed Kotatsu to nose through his food scraps.

“Yeah,” The teen said after noisily sucking on her iced tea through a straw. “The fullest I’ve ever felt in a long time.”

Ace hummed, absentmindedly gnawing on the bone. “How long is a long time?”

A beat of silence.

“…five years, give or take. I kinda stopped counting.”

“Shit, I would too,” The commander tugged the bone out of his mouth and instead wiggled it just above Stefan’s head. The dog promptly eyed it with interest, tail wagging. “Hard times back then – you wanted food? You had to earn it. Or you can steal it, can’t tell you how many times I’ve nearly gotten my ass beat for those ramen bowls.”

Despite the topic, Ace smiled serenely, looking engrossed in his little game with Stefan. He doesn’t notice how Quartz scrutinised him carefully over the rim of her glass. She sighed inaudibly, setting the glass down and snatching up a peach. It smelled sweet and fresh – a perfect ripeness.

“Relatable,” She took a hearty bite out of the fruit and continued while chewing. “At least for ramen it would be understandable. I’ve seen shop-owners lose their absolute shit at a stolen bread roll. That thing was tiny too – also bad.”

Ace wrinkled his nose. “Stingy sons of bitches,” He tossed Stefan the bone. “You’d think with hungry kids they’d be a lot more lenient.”

A scoff; “You’d be surprised,” Quartz muttered darkly. She almost missed the brief flash of bitterness crossing the commander’s face.

“Not really…” He sighed, throwing his arms up behind his head and stretching out on deck. The night sky loomed over him, stars twinkling alight within a sea of ink and he took the moment to lose himself in the galaxy shimmering overhead. Around them, the waters lapped gently at the ship, weaving whispered tales in sea foam and ocean waves.

“Have you ever heard of night terrors?”

The sound of the peach losing another bite.

“Aren’t they just nightmares?” Quartz questioned gruffly, spitting the peach pit over the railing with a startling amount of accuracy.

“Kinda. Just, y’know, worse.” He could almost _hear_ her eyes roll.

“Of course, why not.”

“Yeah, they’re shitty,” Ace agreed with a hollow chuckle. “You get those fucked up visions in your head, thinking that they’re real and sometimes there are even faces you recognise. You can barely move, barely talk, but all you want to do is run – sometimes the only way to get out is by screaming yourself awake. They’re worse when they’re memories… Feels like it’s haunting you when you’re most vulnerable.”

The teen swallowed the rest of her fruit, chancing a short glance at her commander. He wasn’t smiling anymore, but he wasn’t frowning either. His face appeared unreadable, his dark eyes set onto the sky. The warm light of the lantern casted shadows on his face, their flames flickering as glowing spots in his russet eyes.

“My narcolepsy really isn’t helping that fact either,” Ace revealed, suddenly looking a little annoyed. “Even short daylight naps are apparently affected.”

“You mean like the time, where you nearly drowned yourself in apple sauce?”

Finally, the freckled man snorted a small laugh and Quartz could feel the tension in her shoulders leave – she wasn’t aware when they had gotten stiff in the first place.

“Nah, that was just the narcolepsy,” he said, before heaving himself up on his elbows to look at his newest member properly. “What I’m saying is; you aren’t alone in this. I was diagnosed way back and still have a few episodes now and then. Nearly torched Izo’s hair the first time it happened on here. Marco and the nurses have been a great help, however.”

Quartz wanted to glare at him, but at his gaze of honest sincerity, she found that she couldn’t. Her defences only seemed to rise weakly, so she turned her head to the side in order to escape those honest eyes.

“…I survived just fine,” she grumbled. “I can take another few years of them.”

“I’m sure you can,” Ace flashed her a small smile. “But you have all the resources here, so why not start now? Seems less of a waste, if you ask me.”

The kick to his side came out of no-where.

“ _Ow!_ ”

“You’re not supposed to sound smart, Fire Snot.”

“I was just– _What’s that supposed to mean_?!” Ace reached out to pinch at her ankles, making her squeak when he managed to land a hit. She batted at him with a hand, but he rolled out of the reach of her little rat claws with a small burst of laughter. He sat up, hair looking slightly ruffled as he grinned at her, all bright-eyed and sunny.

“Just think about it, okay?” He said, collecting the empty trays and leaving the last two peaches with Quartz. “Begonia’s on watch tonight, she won’t mind if you join her.”

The teen watched as he stood, her mind hissing at her that he had too good of a heart and she waited for the sincerity in Ace’s eyes to waver.

It didn’t.

( _Back then, out there, on her own, kindness was what killed you faster than anything else_.)

“I’ll think about it.”

Ace positively beamed at her and nodded. He moved towards the stairs, ready to call it a night after he returned the trays to the kitchen. He was one step down, and before Quartz could think any better, the question already slipped off her tongue.

“Your memories, do they have something to do with the _S_ on your arm?”

Ace didn’t twitch, but there was the subtle line of tension in his broad shoulders when he stopped in his step. A soft wind passed between them. He turned his head slightly, his lips turned upwards in a soft curve.

“Goodnight, Quartz.”

And with that, he left. Quartz didn’t demand for an answer, only listened to his retreating steps, the gentle clinking of the lanterns swaying in the breeze and the roll of the sea.

 

The sadness in his eyes was answer enough for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious about little tidbits of Quartz? About her and the crew?
> 
> Why not ask Quartz herself! Find her and her usual shenanigans on Quartz' ask Blog!  
> <https://ask-the-tiger-cub.tumblr.com>
> 
> Don't worry, she won't bite. Much.
> 
> [For All Things One Piece; come yell at me.](https://luscaina.tumblr.com)


	13. session one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's either dealing with the terrifying shadows of her memories or finally having a word with Marco; naturally, Quartz chooses the lesser of the two evils.  
> Babysteps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salutations!
> 
> YAH, I AIN'T DEAD YET, THIS BITCH WON'T GO DOWN!!!  
> or well, more like I've been busy with classes while also working part-time, AH, i used to have so much time on my hands and now–– truly, this world works in peculiar ways aksjbkjdbvfj
> 
> however, A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL FOR YOUR KUDOS AND LOVELY COMMENTS!! i know i haven't been around much anymore, i'm so happy that y'all stuck around anyway. I hope all of you are doing well and taking care of yourselves! bc in this chapter, Quartz is sure making a rather big step, considering her current behaviour. on that note, please check the following trigger warnings in case something hits a little too close to home!  
> I hope you guys enjoy this LONG OVERDUE chapter, I wish you all a wonderful day and take care!  
> – Crow
> 
>  
> 
> POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS:  
> \- Discussion of Starvation  
> \- Mentions of Poison  
> \- Discussion of Night Terrors  
> \- Hinted Trauma and Abuse
> 
> Always take care of yourselves, stay safe!

* * *

 

Marco sat in his office within the med-bay, overlooking the recent medical files. One couldn’t quite describe the small room as an office when it distinctively looked like a file cabinet, filled with steel drawers containing all the medical records of the crew. But there was a big oak desk topped with everything Marco needed to complete his work as a doctor, a large bookshelf just behind him, a comfortable plush chair in front of his desk whenever he had a visitor and a window to the right hand side where Marco sat, allowing warm sunlight to stream in. Sure, it was no doubt a bit cramped, but he liked it. It was always quiet and people knocked – within the med-bay, manners skyrocketed. That, or they would have to deal with Paya.

With a fancy fountain pen, he jotted down some notes on an open file, listening to the waves just outside his window, when a tentative knock was heard from his door. He wasn’t expecting anyone today and Marco blinked behind his glasses.

“Come in, yoi.”

Whoever was behind the door hesitated, and for a moment, he knew who exactly would be walking over the threshold of his office. The brass doorknob turned slowly and the door was pushed open gently as Quartz carefully peeked around the wood. She wasn’t wearing her bandanna today, Marco had a feeling that Izo had ( _gently_ ) bullied her into relinquishing the cloth in order to “let your eyebrows breathe”. Big dark eyes stared at him apprehensively.

“Hey,” she muttered quietly and Marco couldn’t help but smile slightly.

“Hey yourself,” he greeted back, capping his fountain pen. “What can I help you with, yoi?”

After the whole nightmare scare two days ago, Quartz had made herself scarce in the last 48-hours, only appearing early for breakfast and lunch before the hall got full and never showed up for dinner. Though, with how the phoenix spotted Ace walking off with two trays, he was sure she remained well-fed. The rest of the day however, only Ace and Blenheim seemed to know where she’d scuttled off too.

Currently, though, Quartz shifted uneasily at his door, gripping the wood so hard with her hand, her knuckles turned white and Marco feared she’d break off a good chunk. She cleared her throat.

“I’m here to talk.” She took a step into the room. “About night terrors.”

Marco’s eyebrows nearly flew up to his hairline. “Where’d you hear that?”

“Portgas told me he had something similar.” The phoenix noted the distinctive lack of nicknames Quartz usually directed at her commander. “He said you helped him with it.”

“We do _help_ him with it,” Marco corrected. “Night terrors aren’t your usual common cold, that can be healed within a span of a few days. It’s a very…persistent condition, yoi.”

Quartz scrunched up her nose, but took a seat in the plush chair when the phoenix gestured to it. As soon as she sat down, she curled her legs up to her chest, looking effectively guarded. She watched quietly how the 1st commander shuffled some papers around before unearthing a file from underneath a pile – when it fell open, loose notes spilled onto the table.

“From the observations we gathered, I assume that you identify with the symptoms of night terrors–”

“Have you been psychoanalysing me this entire time?”

Marco gave her a flat look and picked up one of the notes.

“‘ _Patient is suspected of a period of malnutrition, serving to stunt her growth in both height and weight, while also developing behavioural habits such as the constant need to ration and hide food around the ship_.’” He read aloud and Quartz could feel her ears burn at the thought that someone caught on to her leaving small ration nests around the entire ship. Marco picked up another note. “‘ _Patient observed to react with extreme suspicion and severe aggression at any verbal exchange, suspected to be a developed defence mechanism. Cases of paranoia recorded, past trauma considered as a plausible cause._ ’”

The teen felt vaguely exposed, her mind transported back to the first few weeks on the ship. Grumpily, she sent the phoenix her grouchy half-pout (that she denied as a pout, because if there was one thing she doesn’t do it was pouting, even though she was most definitely pouting). The man sighed.

“We are a team of medical professionals, it’s our job to keep the crew healthy in both mind and body, yoi. And that includes you too.” He put the notes back into the open file. “No one except us has access to these files, you know, patient confidentiality and all.”

_Whatever you say in here will never leave this room_ , was left unspoken but hung evidently in the air. Quartz lowered her gaze onto her propped up knees, idly playing with a loose thread of her brown shorts. She listened how the doctor swept up the notes to arrange them in a neat pile, gently tapping them onto the table and giving her some space to think.

Somehow, she recalled the memory of herself in the med-bay, staring up at Whitebeard as she spilled her ugly history onto the man. The very first step to her leap of faith, not that she knew. It was a secret, just between her and the captain.

“How…do you stop them?” Quartz then decided to ask carefully as Marco regarded her once again. “The night terrors, I mean.”

Dark eyes observed how the man pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Usually through therapy, yoi,” he said and gestured towards his notes. “Talking about your visions and experiences gradually helps you to actually realise your problems and provides them with context. While it might be rather confrontational, your recounts will be a tremendous help to locate the root of your issues and how to properly treat them, or even provide early prevention.”

He sighed once more, fixing his glasses slightly. “However, you need to be aware that while it might help you, it won’t be enough to actually stop the night terrors. At most, you’d be able to cope easier with them until your subconscious and yourself comes into terms with your issues and gradually loses the effects of them. The mental healing process is a fickle and exceptionally slow thing, especially with the threat of a potential relapse constantly looming over you.”

The teen pulled a face at the information. “That doesn’t sound very helpful.”

“Patience is the key,” Marco mused, his eyes glinting with something ancient as he regarded Quartz over the rim of his glasses. “Especially with yourself, yoi.”

The warmth in his gaze made her fidget and she averted her eyes to the side. Her fingers have not stopped playing with that loose thread. A stretch of silence settled between the two of them, when Marco prepared a new sheet of paper and idly spun his fountain pen between his fingers.

“How about we start with something small;” he suggested, trying to ease his wayward little sister. “Let’s break down some of your behaviours in order to create, well, puzzle pieces to build a bigger picture.”

He got a scrunched up nose for that and he gave her his usual sly half-grin. “It’s more like me giving you my point of view, while you can explain how it was from your experience. Your habit of hiding food, for example.”

Quartz seemed to mull the thought over. Then, she closed her eyes with an irritated frown and sighed in an annoyed huff. She crossed her arms over her chest, shrinking into the cushions like a little angry ball of general teenage angst and unrestrained attitude. Her eyes however, looking weary and haunted, told a whole different story.

“…have you ever been so hungry, you were convinced that you would die?” She mumbled tentatively. Marco clutched his pen a little tighter for a fraction of a second.

“There has been a rather uncomfortable period in my life.”

Dark round eyes zeroed in on him. The look she gave him wasn’t quite surprise as it was intrigue, but she continued nonetheless. “Before I, uh, came here, I didn’t exactly live all cozy. Being a street kid and all, you just get mixed up with all sorts of shady groups.” Quartz furrowed her brows a bit, frowning at her knees. “You wanted to eat? You had to fight for it. It got dirty real quick every time – if you were too slow, too weak, you’ll starve. So…many take up the habit of stashing food in secret places in case of emergencies.”

“In case food gets scarce.” Marco clarified further and got a nod in return.

“Yeah.”

“In case someone takes the food away.” He could see her swallow a little.

“…yeah.” Quartz cleared her throat slightly. “Guess I didn’t grow out of it,” she said with a shrug, that appeared way too relaxed, but Marco could read the unease lingering in the motion. His hand moved almost on its own as he took some notes.

“I see, yoi. I assume your constant struggle for regular food served as the main culprit of your malnutrition?”

“I..guess?” The hesitant pause was rewarded with a raised eyebrow. Quartz chewed on her bottom lip. “Sometimes…I starved myself. Deliberately.”

Marco exhaled slowly. “Was there any reason for that?”

“Poison.” Was the blunt answer, it made Marco falter a little. The teen shifted with a small grimace. “I mean– some food was poisoned. I– I could smell it, even if it was pretty faint. I got suspicious and refused to eat. Didn’t trust the next few meals, until I got too hungry to care.”

“Why would anyone give you poisoned food?” The phoenix asked near incredulous – was there any reason to attempt to poison an actual child? He observed how her face grew pinched.

“Got involved in a gang-war,” she muttered and avoided Marco’s questioning gaze. “You meet a few wrong people out on the streets.”

“Tell me about it,” Marco grumbled under his breath with furrowed brows, before raising his voice again. “But how did you get recruited into gang? You must’ve been no older than fourteen? Fifteen?”

“Thirteen, actually,” Quartz corrected him out of habit and swallowed a little when she saw the minor shift in his jaw. “And I didn’t get recruited, I…”

 

(“What could a wee girl like you be of use to us anyway? Scram, kid.”

Small fists curled tighter, knuckles turning white but her face remained stoic. “I know your enemy,” she said in a voice that sounded calmer than she felt. “And I know what their next moves are. You can easily get the drop on them on their next hunt – I heard your last one wasn’t so successful.”

Glares from all over. The leader however, shifted in his seat, regarding her with a calculating look. Then, a malicious grin spread on his face.

“Yer a nasty one, eh, kid? With cold eyes like these.” He grabbed an apple from an open sack next to him, having noticed how those dark eyes had flitted to them the first few seconds, and tossed it towards her. “Now, keep talking.”)

 

“I just got involved. Things happened. I got away before that shit turned real ugly.” She spat out harsher than she intended. Her stomach roiled at the following memory of herself at the edge of a forest, emptying her guts out at the foot of a tree from the metallic taste of human blood on her tongue, the image of bloody handprints on rough bark swimming in front of her eyes. Quartz scrunched her eyes shut, willing the memory away.Marco said nothing, but she could hear the faint scratching of pen on paper – it was calming somehow. Gave her something to concentrate on. She didn't comment on the distinctive lack of further prodding from the doctor’s side.

“Do you remember your night terrors?” Marco inquired, deciding to move on to the actual issue at hand. The previous information the girl had just dumped on him was another topic for another day, yet not unimportant. Another puzzle piece to be added – thinking back to all the times he had seen the teenager lingering in front of batches of food before actually moving to heap them onto her plate, it made sense.

Quartz shrugged slightly, a sort of aborted movement considering how she pressed herself against the cushions. “Most of ‘em. I don’t sleep enough to get them in the first place.”

Marco narrowed his eyes slightly, squinting at the girl through his glasses. “And how much sleep do you get on the regular?” He watched her grit her teeth as she avoided his eyes.

“Five hours…give or take,” she muttered.

“A day, yoi?”

“…”

“ _Quartz_.”

“Okay, _fine_ ; it’s five hours every few days.” Quartz could almost hear Marco’s blood pressure rising. “I get myself through with naps, I don’t– I don’t want to sleep longer than necessary.”

“You mean you don’t want to risk the higher chances of experiencing night terrors whenever you reach REM cycles.” The doctor explained and only got a blank look in return. “Rapid Eye Movement, it’s what we call the, ah, dream state during sleep.”

“Nerd.”

“You’re stalling.”

A pink flush appeared on Quartz’s cheeks as she sent one of her scowly-pouts his way, one that would most likely cause Izo to coo at her had he been present. Marco only raised an eyebrow in challenge and purposefully doesn’t mention the knowledge that the teen’s trust issues were also a major factor on why she cautioned herself from sleeping properly.

“I just–” She fidgeted, eyes downcast. “I just don’t want to see them anymore, okay?”

“Who is them?” The doctor asked gently. Quartz lifted her eyes just enough for the sunlight to reveal the deep brown irises they really were.

“Memories,” she said quietly, “Portgas said that we see memories. I have…bad memories. Faceless shadows grabbing after me–”

_Doesn’t like to be touched_.

“– lies and traps and backstabbers–”

_Extreme trust issues_.

“– punishments and beatings–”

_Copes with fear through open aggression_.

“– and…” Quartz stopped her dull recounting in favour of ducking down further, her chin near tucked between her knees. Marco watched how those round eyes hardened into something unforgiving, something unspeakable. “…betrayal.”

_Fears emotional attachments_.

The doctor regarded his grim notes and wondered with a bitter taste in his mouth why children would have to go through something like that. A childhood ripped into shreds, left behind to be pieced together into a patchwork of what used to be, parts replaced what was thrown to their feet because anything, _anything_ was better than this pain of having lost what once was yours.

Quartz’s eyes were carrying a glossy sheen. “I think, I’m done for today,” she croaked out. Marco only nodded.

“That’s okay.” He took off his glasses with a small exhale. “Come in whenever you feel like talking again, alright? Meanwhile, we’ll try to come up with a solution to handle those night terrors.”

The teenager nodded mutely, leaving her seat to approach the door. Her hand grasped the doorknob, when Marco’s voice piped up again from behind her.

“Quartz?” She turned her head slightly, expression guarded. However, the phoenix gave her a genuine little smile, eyes warm. “I’m proud of you, kid.”

He saw her mouth fall open slightly as if to retort. But she turned away instead and wordlessly vanished behind the door. The tips of her ears almost crimson.

 

* * *

 

Patient: _Quartz_

Age: _15_

Gender: _Female_

_2nd Division_

 

Session One:

 

_Patient suffers from vivid night terrors. Review for further investigation. Brief discussion reveals link to past traumas and experiences._

_Further discussion leads to believe that Patient has been without guidance and/or supervision at a young age. Patient recounts periods of possible abuse, neglect and manipulation. Possible cause of paranoia, unhealthy coping mechanisms and stunted growth and development physically and psychologically._

_Patient has however found the first steps into healing._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious about little tidbits of Quartz? About her and the crew?
> 
> Why not ask Quartz herself! Find her and her usual shenanigans on Quartz' ask Blog!  
> <https://ask-the-tiger-cub.tumblr.com>
> 
> Don't worry, she won't bite. Much.
> 
>  
> 
> [For All Things One Piece; come yell at me.](https://luscaina.tumblr.com)


	14. d stands for

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today is Pick On Ace Day!
> 
> Kidding, everyday is Pick On Ace Day, especially if you are barely 5ft tall, have a terrible temper and your name is Quartz.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salutations!
> 
> After the realness thats as Chapter 13, i tried to take a bit more healing steps in the form of simultaneously starting 2 new chapters which are going to be complete shenanigans chapters because I love with when small disasters happen within the crew akjsdkjfb-- i was so excited for this chapter, it's a both silly and fluffy with a small amount heart-to-heart since we all know i am a gigantic slut for family feels and sibling bonding.  
> me @ me: LET THEM BE HAPPY
> 
> as always; thank you all SO MUCH for your support and kind words, it always makes it such a delight writing this story knowing you guys enjoy it! let me know what you think of the new chapter or drown my notifs with kudos lmfao
> 
> I hope you guys are all doing well, always take care guys and stay safe! I wish you all a wonderful day!  
> – Crow

* * *

 

He felt the weight of an intense stare, a sensation prickling along his skin that nearly made him shiver. Ace felt inclined to shield his plate of food in front of him. Taking another near savage bite from the huge steak impaled on his fork, the commander glared suspiciously at Quartz, seated across from him at the long dining table. She calmly chewed on her own food, just watching her commander across the table with some sort of detached interest in her dark eyes.

“…can I help you?” Ace asked suspiciously after a few minutes of eerie staring. He observed how Quartz swallowed, setting down her cutlery neatly in the way Izo had heavily drilled into her head. The unbroken attention she was giving him nearly made Ace break out in stress hives, he was ready for a fight even if he had no damn clue what this was all about.

“What does the D in your name stand for?” Quartz asked instead of throwing a punch like Ace had expected, it almost startled him comically at such a mundane question. He blinked, feeling a little ridiculous at his protective hunch over his plate.

“Uh,” he straightened himself up, scratching his cheek lightly. “I actually don’t know?”

The questioning lilt at the end of his sentence made her tilt her head to the side like a curious cat. All big dark eyes and stoic little frown.

“Don’t give me that look,” Ace huffed, toying with his fork. “The D has always been there, I didn’t exactly have anyone around to tell me what it means.”

Quartz seemed to nod thoughtfully. “So, it’s up for interpretation?”

“I– no? And how do you even know that word–”

“Portgas _Dumb_ Ace,” the teen voiced out-loud, letting the words hang in the air. She shrugged. “If the shoe fits, I guess.”

“You awful child,” Ace grumbled. He soon glared at Thatch, who barked out a surprised laugh next to him, nearly choking on his bacon-wrapped asparagus.

“That was mean, Quartz,” Thatch chuckled, before shooting Ace a mischievous look and the young commander knew that he was done for. “‘Sides, Portgas _Dork_ Ace seems more plausible, not?”

Ace groaned, burying his face in his hands when the whole table erupted into lighthearted laughter. Goddamn eavesdroppers, the whole lot of them. When will he ever find peace, he wondered idly until he heard Haruta’s crow of delight.

“How about Portgas _Dunce_ Ace?”

“Shut up, you little hobgoblin!”

The fencer cackled and an embarrassed flush started to spread on the young commander’s freckled cheeks.

“No, no,” Izo waved his hand around and levelled Ace with a meaningful stare. “Obviously it’s Portgas _Dangerously Reckless_ Ace.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but shut it immediately in an afterthought before he inclined his head with a chagrined expression in reluctant agreement. Well, _technically_ seen…

Marco snorted, not looking up from his plate. “Try Portgas _Don’t Think Before I Act_ Ace.”

“Oh, _c’mon_! I apologised for all those times!”

“And yet you always end up in my clinic? Interesting.”

The table howled with laughter and Ace’s ears burned. Sometimes he hated being the youngest of all the commanders; you ask Curiel to use you as a human cannon ball to shoot you across the water onto an oncoming enemy ship _once_ , and no one ever forgets it. It was only one time!

Okay, so maybe it was two times more and the second time shot him straight into the ocean, but it worked perfectly fine the other two times! Also, he’s like completely immune to fire, so it wasn’t like it hurt him or anything.

“Alright, alright, everyone, that’s enough.” Vista motioned them to settle down and he was now Ace’s favourite amongst the crew. “Now, let’s be mature about this since none of us know what the D means – so, who wants to bet?”

Scratch that, Vista was as terrible as the rest of them, there was no God and this entire ship and crew has forsaken Ace to the highest degree of fratricide via betrayal. Cheer erupted at the table as he contemplated on simply disowning his entire foster family.

“I’m betting on _Dunce_!” Haruta exclaimed with a mischievous smirk as they slapped down a few bills. Thatch immediately threw in his own bet together with Namur as Vista collected the amassing money. Quartz raised her hand.

“I’m putting dibs on Portgas _Dick_ Ace,” she announced with an unchanging expression, just as Marco distantly reprimanded her for her language. She then stuck her hand out towards Ace. “Gimme some money so I can bet.”

He regarded her with an incredulous stare. Then, the yelling started.

“ _You shameless brat_!”

 

* * *

 

Letting go of a massive yawn, Ace half-heartedly scratched the back of his head, feeling tired. It was already late, the deck now dimly lit with the surrounding lanterns as the night dipped their world into the colour of velvet ink. In a leisure stroll, the young commander made his way towards his chamber to call it a night, until–

“Hey,”

“ _What the fu_ –” Ace near jumped a foot into the air at the unexpected voice, heart going absolutely bonkers within his ribcage. He whirled around to see exactly no one. “Who the hell? God?”

A beat of silence.

“Yeah, it’s me, God Almighty.” Came the voice again, now suspiciously deeper and wait a minute, he knew that particular pitch. Ace fought the urge to roll his eyes in amusement.

“Okay, question;” he said aloud and smirked a little, “are all Gods tiny, doll-faced and ill-tempered, or is that just you?”

“Consider this; you’re a bitch.”

Ace burst into laughter before grinning brilliantly up at Quartz, who finally decided to stick her head out from behind the sail she’d been hiding in. She stuck her tongue out at him.

“Bleh.”

Her commander only chuckled and waved her down, observing with interest how the girl made her way down to the deck; light-footed and with all the grace of a cat, Quartz balanced on the wooden beam, leaping onto a rope to swing towards the rigging. Deftly, she climbed down and eventually hopped next to Ace, who immediately greeted her by bringing a hand up to mess with her hair. As usual, the move made her squawk.

“Whatcha’ doing, kid?” He asked, picking up his pace again. Quartz followed him, hands buried within the confines of her pockets. “Hoping to scare some crew-mates for shits and giggles?”

The girl shrugged. “Some of you are, like, major scaredy cats. It’s not exactly difficult.”

“That’s not nice.”

“But am I wrong?”

“About many, many things in fact,” Ace said in a chipper voice, but nodded his head nonetheless, “but not about this.”

“Told ya.” She blinked, before narrowing her eyes. “Did you just call me stupid?”

Her commander lifted a hand to his chest, brows raised in wonder. “I would _never_.”

She tried to kick him, but Ace only danced playfully out of her way. A small chase started as Quartz tried to land a hit on the man, who laughed merrily at their little game. Her kicks morphed into small jabs and pinches, but as she came lunging, Ace only flicked her forehead.

“Ow!”

“Serves ya’ right, you little shit.” The commander grinned mischievously, immune to the disgruntled glare the girl sent him. Her tiger ears, that had sprouted from her head during their game of tag, flattened themselves against her hair to show her contempt as she rubbed her sore spot on her forehead. Ace chuckled, gently pinching her nose. “How’s school?”

Quartz shook off his hand, hair poofing out slightly. “Fine. I have to read a lot. And do maths.” She scrunched up her nose at the thought. “Reading’s a pain.”

“It’s useful,” Ace reminded her, opening the door to the private chambers of the commanders. “I thought it was a major pain too, but I’m glad for the lessons I got.”

She followed him into the hallway to his door. “Numbers are easier,” she argued, crossing her arms as they entered Ace’s room. They were immediately greeted by Kotatsu, who bounded up to them in order to claim some pets. Quartz proceeded to scratch him under his chin, continuing with the conversation as her commander lit the overhanging oil lamp. “You add numbers up and it just makes sense. There are no exceptions or weird symbolisms or metaphors in numbers, you either get it right or wrong.”

“Figures you’d be the more logical type,” Ace sniggered, placing his hat onto the bedside table before falling onto his bed, still warm from where Kotatsu had napped. Lazily, he kicked off his boots. “Not much for analysing stories and such, huh?”

“Hell no,” the girl groused, hopping onto the hammock to sit in it, swinging gently as the lynx weaved around her dangling legs. “‘ _Can you tell me why the curtains are blue_ ’ they’re just fucking blue, maybe the character just liked the colour blue! Why does everything have to be so goddamn depressing and meaningful, they’re _curtains_!”

Ace laughed, turning onto his belly and snagging a pillow to prop his chin on. “These questions are mostly there to test your ability to analyse silver linings. Subtext, y’know? Foreshadowing and stuff.”

“Well, the subtext sucks. The character needs to get a life and stop wallowing in self-pity, ain’t got anyone nowhere like that.” Quartz grumbled, positively miffed as she glared at the ceiling. Ace gave her a fond look.

“But maths is more up your alley?” He pursed his lips in thought, before pointing at her. “Solve this one quickly; 153 + 345 equals?”

“500.”

“That’s wrong.”

“But it was fast.”

With a snort, he threw a pillow at her. She caught it, hammock swinging with the movement and she lost one of her slippers. Her toes wiggled at the freedom. There was a small snigger.

“It’s 498, doofus. I was close.” She threw the pillow back and Ace let himself be hit in the face with a short “ _omphh_ –”. It became another game for them, idly tossing the pillow back and forth. When it landed on Quartz again, she studied if for a moment before squeezing it and tossing it back.

“I talked to Marco,” she said quietly as Ace caught the item with one hand. He gave her a curious look. “About the nightmares.”

“Are you gonna go regularly?” He flicked the pillow and she caught it with a small shrug. “I know it’s kinda scary, having to talk about stuff like that.”

“‘m not scared.”

“I know,” Ace smiled at her softly and she gave him a dubious look. However, she chucked the pillow back at him and that was the end of that. Until she opened her mouth again.

“Do you really don’t know?” At the questioning glance, she elaborated. “Your name, I mean.”

“Ah,” Ace fiddled with a loose thread on his pillow. “Well, it really just has been there for as long as I can remember. My…grandfather never explained it to me, but apparently it’s a powerful name? The D, that is.”

Quartz snorted. “D as in Dick?”

“Oh, shut up,” Ace scoffed with a small grin and lugged the pillow at her. “At least I didn’t get named after a rock.”

“I wasn’t!” The teen immediately protested and her commander huffed a laugh when the pillow bounced off his face. Kotatsu made a small sound as he hopped back onto the bed, proceeding to rub his cheek against Ace’s before flopping down on him. The man chuckled, bringing his arms around the feline for a comforting squeeze. It was quiet for a moment, room filled with the lynx’ steady purrs.

“Portgas D. was my mother’s name,” Ace murmured softly into the dim room. “Portgas D. Rouge.”

Quartz tried not to squirm at the revelation – hard not to when you suddenly think back to all your previous ribbing and now feel like a Major Asshole. She shifted awkwardly in the hammock, slightly chagrined.

“Oh,” she said dumbly, staring at the ceiling and missing how Ace shot her an amused glance. Something lit up in the back of her mind and she blinked. “Rouge…that’s a nice name. It means Red.”

Ace’s tiredly amused expression morphed into wonder. “How’d you know?”

Quartz thought back to the image of a man’s hand holding a generously sized ruby, a distant but familiar voice commenting on the shine, the cut, the polish, the colour – _a delightful deep rouge, don’t you think so, Bexley_? She willed the memory away, her breath hitching slightly.

“I– I just remember,” she mumbled and her commander only nodded thoughtfully. The hammock swayed gently, almost as if it wanted to rock her into sleep. Quartz licked her lips nervously and then exhaled. “Quartz isn’t…my real name.”

A beat of silence. She entertained the idea that Ace might’ve fallen asleep already.

“That’s okay,” came his voice gently and despite being heard, she relaxed slightly. There was a yawn. “Night, kiddo. Don’t draw on my face.”

A snort. “Go to sleep, Droopy Eyes.”

Quartz heard him grumble, but after a while, his heartbeat evened out – strong, calm and steady beats, weaving themselves with Kotatsu’s purrs and the soft sound of ocean waves outside the walls. She let the sounds lull her. Idly, she wondered when was the last time she actually spent time with someone like that.

To just. Hang out.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, the door to the deck burst open, making several crew members jump in surprise. A nearby Namur turned around in slight alarm.

“Ace–” he started, only to take one look at his younger brother’s face. He snorted. “Oh, _dude,_ this is too good!”

The younger only scowled at him as best as he could with all the purple ink smeared on his face, depicting a crude imitation of connect-the-dots with his freckles.

“ _Where is that brat?!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious about little tidbits of Quartz? About her and the crew?
> 
> Why not ask Quartz herself! Find her and her usual shenanigans on Quartz' ask Blog!  
> <https://ask-the-tiger-cub.tumblr.com>
> 
> Don't worry, she won't bite. Much.
> 
> [For All Things One Piece; come yell at me.](https://luscaina.tumblr.com)


	15. a noticeable absence of child leashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vista takes the kids into town.
> 
> That was his first bad decision. The second and third followed soon after.
> 
> Also, there's a fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salutations!
> 
> I have literally no excuse for this chapter. I just wanted to write something silly. Just pure dumbass decisions and shenanigans. I love this family yall hear me sobbing akjsbdvkj
> 
> Thank you all for your continued support and love for this series and Quartz! As always I appreciate all your comments and kudos – since my life has become a bit more hectic with work and studies, I'm unfortunately not as active anymore. Despite this, this story still gets lots of love and I'm incredibly humbled by it, thank you so much! I hope you all enjoy this new chapter of pure fluff, let me know what you think!  
> I wish you all a wonderful day and take care!  
> – Crow

* * *

 

“I still feel like we should’ve gone with Vista,”

“Relax Izo, they’ll be fine.”

The gunslinger regarded Thatch with a dubious look from underneath his eyelashes, never faltering in leisurely fanning himself with one of his artfully decorated paper fans. Today, the cook had forgone his signature pompadour in favour of tying his long brown hair into a loose ponytail draping over his shoulder. It felt good to wear them down every once in a while. He snickered.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head over it, darlin’, that’s Marco’s job.” He jabbed a thumb in the phoenix’ general direction, where he was leaning against the ship’s railing, quietly overlooking the small harbour they had docked at.

“Vista took our three youngest members into town,” Marco propped his arm up in order to lean his chin into his hand. “I’m frankly kinda surprised that the town is still standing, yoi. They’ve been gone for how many hours?”

Izo studied the orange tinted sky. “They left shortly after breakfast – I’d say eight hours maybe?”

“Already? It seems like whatever deity out there is being good to us today,” Thatch hummed, one of his fingers tapping lightly against the wooden barrel he sat on. “Though, I gotta admit; the deck had been eerily quiet today. It says a lot about who’s the loudest on a ship full of pirates.”

“You’d be loud too if a fifteen-year-old would constantly try to get the drop on you because you stole her bacon during breakfast,” Izo remarked smartly and Marco sighed.

“At this point you would think Ace would’ve learnt his lesson by the time Quartz ambushed him in the crows nest.”

“Wait, that’s what all the noise was yesterday?”

“Yeah, why? What did you think it was, yoi?”

Thatch shrugged. “I thought some old seagulls got into a scuffle.”

“We wish,” the gunslinger huffed, checking over his impeccable nails. “Ace nearly fell and got himself tangled in the rigging ropes, while Haruta only watched and laughed until they were crying.”

Marco tilted his head slightly to the side. “That sounds like them; the Terrible Trio.”

“Aw, that makes me feel vaguely replaced, mate,” the cook joked, swinging one of his legs slightly. “But it’s good to see her act her actual age every once in a while. Who knew fifteen-year-olds could be so angry?”

“You say that like you’ve never met Ace, yoi,” Marco snorted, eyes twinkling good-naturedly with his sly half-smile on his lips. His two brothers chuckled at the memory. Izo hummed thoughtfully, red painted lips pursed delicately.

“Haru’s got quite the temper too. It’s quite jarring considering their usual plucky demeanour.”

“Yeah, and we have you to thank for that,” Thatch teased. “The whole cold shoulder and frosty tongue thing– not to mention the way they’d look at you like you’re absolute garbage to them. They get that from you.”

He received a scathing glare.

“That one! That one right there! Mate, how are you so good at this?”

The cook barked a short laugh as Izo whacked him with his fan. Marco snickered, neither denying nor confirming the fact. After all, Haruta had stuck close to Izo initially when they first joined the crew; all bambi-legged yet scarily precise in wielding their blade, like threading a needle. A practiced grace, near suffocated in what Haruta had decided to leave behind – a goodbye signified by them slicing off their once long hair, letting the loose tresses be carried away by the wind and sea.

_How do you feel_ , Marco had asked them, smiling slightly at the infectious grin they had given him, all bright eyed and glowing.

_For the first time in my life; free_ , had been their answer and the rest had drowned in the uproarious cheer of the crew as they welcomed their new sibling. It was a fond memory.

“Hey,” Thatch alerted the other two, looking over the railing with a thoughtful expression. “If it ain’t Vista. Hey Vista!”

The magician closed in on the ship, looking dishevelled and out of breath. “Just…give me a minute…” he panted, propping his hands up on his knees. The three youngest he had gone off with were nowhere in sight. The three commanders on board only shared a look, before descending onto the port.

“Where’s Loud, Louder and Loudest?” Marco asked once they arrived next to Vista, but he only held up a hand for a pause. Izo patted his shoulder.

“How was the trip?”

Vista exhaled a little. “Well, Quartz hasn't punched anyone so far.”

“That’s good.”

“She then later instigated a bar fight.”

“That’s bad.”

“And then she told Ace, who then set the bar on fire.”

Sure enough, they all looked up to see a pillar of smoke rise into the sky somewhere across town.

“That’s _worse_!”

“Why was she even at a bar in the first place?” Marco questioned incredulously. “She’s a minor, yoi!”

“I don’t know!” Vista cried, looking rather hysterical. “Within the first hour I lost Haru, the next Quartz went missing and shortly after Ace just straight up disappeared! I should’ve brought child leashes.”

“I told you we should’ve gone with them,” Izo hissed at his brothers. “Now we have three whole kids missing! And one of them is _actually_ a kid!”

“Okay, hold on,” Thatch defended, “just walk us through what happened.”

Vista hummed. “Uh, so it started off alright. The three of them just tagged along for the heck of it, having a look around and such. Haru was the first to vanish.”

“Concerning,” The cook inclined his head but nodded slightly, “yet pretty standard. They probably went off to cause trouble and pickpocket some rich folks.” They all made a sound of agreement.

“So we just went on without them, because they were the oldest of the three and therefore had some standard of responsibilities. I went to get my stuff and after that we went window shopping.” Thoughtfully, Vista rubbed his moustache between two fingers. “Around then I noticed how quiet it has gotten between all of us and when I asked Ace, I realised that Quartz was. Well, gone.”

“Gone? How can one lose an entire teenager!” Marco started to look increasingly frazzled by this development.

“She’s a kid, Marco, she most likely wandered off to inspect some stuff for herself.” Izo tried to placate the 1st commander.

“Yeah, and then start a fight at a bar, where she has no business being there in the first place, yoi.”

Thatch chuckled mildly. “What are you gonna do, ground her?” A look of serious contemplation passed the phoenix’ face. “I was kidding, don’t do that, she’ll lie on all my clothes in her tiger form if she finds out I gave you the idea.”

“And Ace was the last one you lost track of?” Izo asked further, dismissing the other two.

Vista nodded. “Literally not a half an hour later he just went _poof_! gone. I’m not sure if he accidentally fell asleep somewhere or went off to hunt down Quartz. At this point I’m searching high and low, hear a commotion at the nearby bar and the next thing I know there is an all out brawl and a fire and Ace sprinting out of the building with a yelling Quartz hooked under his arm.”

Marco buried his face in his hands. “Why are they like this…”

“Are you sure you don’t want to go look around for a parental guidebook?” The cook inquired monotonously.

“Enough. Our first priority is to go look for those three troublemakers–” Izo paused and squinted. “What’s thats sound?”

“What sound?”

Low noise buzzed somewhere in the distance. However, it seemed to grow closer, volume increasing into the distinctive sound of yelling. That does not sound very good.

“Please don’t be trouble,” Vista heard Marco mutter under his breath. The four of them stared at the edge of the port, where it led into town. Not a minute later, Quartz popped up, seemingly running at top speed right at them.

Followed by an entire horde of enraged bar-goers and gangsters, if all the raised weaponry and slightly charred appearance was anything to go by.

Quartz pointed at the angry men behind her. “They’re following me Marco!”

The phoenix look absolutely done with this world. There was a low whistle coming from his right.

“Man, I heard that she got herself into trouble again, but didn’t think it be that big!”

“Haru, we don’t have time–” the elder started before abruptly stopping mid-sentence as four heads swivelled around to stare incredulously at Haruta, now innocently standing next to their older siblings. They gave the adults a mischievous pixie grin, fishing a luxurious bracelet embedded with heavy looking emeralds out of their pocket and wiggled it around.

“Look what I scored!”

“Screw that!” Vista half-yelled, promptly snatching the pompous decoration out of their hands before pointing at them. “Where have you been?!”

“Minding my own business, you should try it.”

“Don’t get smart with me!”

“ _Marco_!” There wasn’t much more they could yell at each other, when Quartz dived into the small circle and swiftly ducked behind the phoenix’ legs. Small hands gripped his teal sash as she tugged on it slightly. “Just for the record; none of this was my fault.”

Marco crossed his arms, raising an unimpressed eyebrow. “Alright, then would you care to explain what you were doing in a bar despite being way below the age limit?”

“I ain’t gone to no bar,” Quartz lied through her teeth, looking unabashedly unashamed at what she was trying to pull.

“Vista saw you yoi.”

“He saw nothing.”

“ _Quartz_.”

“Who’s Quartz?”

“Yikes,” Haruta sniggered, “you are trying way too hard to look dumb.”

With his folded up fan, Izo bopped Quartz on the head, prompting her to spit out a surprised “ _geh!_ ” upon impact. The gunslinger put his hand on his hips. “You little rascal, we are discussing this later. Where’s Ace?”

“Just peachy,” the teenager muttered, rubbing the sore spot on her head, the tiger ears that had sprouted spontaneously now folded back. “I left him somewhere safe.”

“You _left_ him?!” Came the shocked chorus. Now the tail sprouted, all poofed up and fluffy in agitation.

“I said safe! He fell asleep and he’s too heavy for me to carry!”

The angry mob that had followed Quartz finally came to a stop in front of the small group. They all looked ready for a fight, weapons braced. One burly man stepped forward, nose bloody and a black eye blooming, most likely from the previous scuffle.

“Hey, you! Does that brat belong to you–” he didn’t get any further when Izo turned to face him, usual delicate expression hardened into a disgusted frown as he stared the entire mob down.

“Is there a problem?” He asked icily and despite the man having at least two heads on him, he shrunk at the frosty stare. The whole mob shuddered, suddenly feeling not all that brave anymore. Another man within the horde took a small peek and let out a shriek when he recognised the tattoo on Marco’s chest.

“Whitebeards!” He squeaked and that was the last blow to their dwindling shred of murderous motivation. Now, the fearful sweating started – how could they have known the damn kid was with the Whitebeard Pirates?

The men were met with wholly unimpressed and unamused glares from the pirates, so they decided to backtrack quickly before they ended up in a world of pain. The apparent leader already sputtered a dozens of excuses and apologies, when fire broke out in their midst. None of the Whitebeards looked particularly surprised at the sight of Ace demolishing the entire mob on his own. When he was done, he marched up to his family, looking pissed to all hell – until he got close enough, to which Izo immediately lifted his kimono sleeve to his nose.

“Ugh, you _smell_!” He groused unhappily. “Where have you been?”

“Why don’t you ask our local homicidal jungle cat?” Ace spat, throwing a rotting banana peel at the teen, which for some reason had been stuck in his hair. “Nice going with the hiding place, asshole.”

Thatch eyed the pair warily. “Quartz? Where _exactly_ did you leave Ace?”

“The next best place that was available,” Quartz said with her usual stern frown, batting the peel away before it could reach her face. “The dumpster.”

Izo nearly fainted in shock, had it not been for Vista holding the swaying gunslinger upright. Marco could feel his entire being falter from this plane of existence at the outrageous answer. Meanwhile, Haruta cackled in absolute delight.

“You hid your brother in a _dumpster_?!”

She shrugged. “He fell asleep and it was like, right there. I figured it was okay since I memorised where I left him. On the bright side,” she gestured towards a fuming Ace, “we don’t have to go dumpster diving for him.”

Freckled hands immediately shot forward to tug at her cheeks harshly, stretching out her round face.

“How about I’ll throw _you_ in a dumpster, _you rotten little–!_ ” Ace bickered, unafraid of the pointy canines snapping in his direction as Quartz gripped and tugged his hair with her little rat claws.

“Fuck off, Fire Snot, you _reek_!” She quarrelled back, ears folded back against her head as her tail poofed up near double it’s width.

“Oh yeah? _Guess whose fault is that!_ ”

“If your _dumbass_ hadn’t fallen _asleep_ , then _maybe_ I wouldn’t have–!”

“ _What do you mean with ‘maybe’?!_ ”

“This is happening,” Thatch said absentmindedly to Marco, who had his face in his hands. “Marco, we don’t have protocols for this kind of shit. Quartz was literally our only hope for a normal kid.”

“Uh, I think that opportunity went out the window the moment she tried to stab Pops.” Vista supplied warily. Marco exhaled slowly, looking like the whole situation had just aged him another two decades.

“I’m getting a headache, yoi,” he murmured mournfully, fully aware that he couldn’t be affected by such a condition thanks to his healing abilities. He looked on at the fighting pair, not yet an all out brawl, unless–

“ _Ow_! She– You _bit_ me!”

“Two headaches.”

“Marco, you can’t just increase the number like that.”

From the sidelines, they could hear Haruta cackle as they egged the fighting duo on.

“Make it three, yoi.”

“ _Marco, you are literally incapable of having headaches_.”

 

* * *

 

“Grounded?!”

Quartz gaped at Marco disbelievingly from her kneeling position on the floor. Next to her, in a similar position,Ace only groaned.

“You can’t do this!”

“I can and I will,” the phoenix commanded, arms crossed as Haruta stood diligently next to him. “You – for sneaking off with unauthorised entry and instigating a fight. Ace – for assisting in mentioned fight and committing arson.”

“Marco, I’m made out of fire, committing arson is what I do.”

“Not in response to a bar fight.”

“Those assholes were picking on her!”

“You can’t just–!” Marco took a deep breath. “Look, I understand the circumstances, but this has blown way out of proportions.”

Quartz scrunched up her nose. “What gives? Aren’t we criminals anyway?”

Ace gestured to her with an affirming eyebrow raise, but Marco wasn’t having any of it. “You’re both grounded, yoi. End of discussion.”

The 2nd Division duo wilted slightly, both disgruntled at the result. Quartz shot Haruta a grumpy glance.

“How come Haru gets off the hook…” she muttered as Marco turned away. The fencer regarded the pair with a blank look – before turning their nose up slightly with a haughty little smirk.

“ _Heh_.”

_Traitor_ , Ace mouthed at his sibling, but his youngest member wasn’t so subtle with her dissatisfaction.

“I will break every joint in your body one by one and make you count them all,” Quartz threatened darkly, it caused her commander to lift a hand to his chest in mild disturbance.

“Good _lord_ –”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious about little tidbits of Quartz? About her and the crew?
> 
> Why not ask Quartz herself! Find her and her usual shenanigans on Quartz' ask Blog!  
> <https://ask-the-tiger-cub.tumblr.com>
> 
> Don't worry, she won't bite. Much.
> 
> [For All Things One Piece; come yell at me.](https://luscaina.tumblr.com)


End file.
